


Triggered

by LostInQueue



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Art, Attraction, Baked Goods, Bets, Call of Duty - Freeform, College, Companionship, Counter strike - Freeform, Dancers, Dry Humor, Engineering, F/M, Face off, Feels, Finals, Forgetfulness, Friendship, Gambling, Gamers, Gaming, Gen, Hate mail, Kylo Ren triggered, Kylo tasting his own medicine, Love Notes, Midterms, Multi, Online Gaming, Poe fights with Ben, Professors, Pug G, Rage Fits, Reylo - Freeform, Road Rage, Seamstress, Slow Burn, Smut, Star Wars Battlefront, Super Smash Brothers - Freeform, Talented women, Teachers, Team Fortress 2 - Freeform, Triggered, Triggers, Trolling, alternate universe reylo, angry men, attending school in the city, au reylo, blatant honesty, compassion - Freeform, concussion, dance, first person shooters, fixing something together, flailing tempers, fortnite, funny moments, gamers getting ganked, graduate program, impromptu date, living in jersey, makeup artist, monster movie makeup, motorcycle accident, nasty ingame taunts, player vs player, recruiters, relationships, rose tico is an artist, show, slow burn angst, tempers, the commute is real, well wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-06-29 14:57:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 62,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15731745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostInQueue/pseuds/LostInQueue
Summary: Ben Solo takes gaming very seriously, stalking his prey until they give up for the night, streaming his successes on Twitch, dressed as Kylo_Ren. Stress of his day and gaming itself throw him into ridiculous rage fits that are recorded for all to see. Gamers follow this wacko just to see what he’ll do next, that is, until Rey and her friends turn his world on its head.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on gamers who have been known to be aggressive and loud. Some accounts have actually happened like throwing a soda, and rage quitting out of games.
> 
> There is a mention to Twitch feeds, which I do not own or claim to own. Also there are mentions to multiple console and pc games that I don’t have rights to, however do play, so that’s why they’re represented in this flick.
> 
> *Really tried to keep this Mature but chapter 9 has altered that.

It’s nearing the end of summer break, students around the country are going through the motions, getting ready for school with their parents and peers, shopping for supplies for the new year. This means traffic. So much traffic. Ben Solo has many things he loathes, and traffic is one of them. Life in Jersey, closest to the city is one of the most stressful places to live, add in commuting to New York City since moving from Los Angeles, and his stress level manages a constant high. Taming his rage is a real problem. 

His job, though, dictates his life having to be within constant range of things he hates. As in proximity to people, having to live among them to figure out necessary changes to accommodate for more. Being a man of a towering build, living among the average person seemed less than fair. 

Traffic is awful but he’ll opt to drive instead of walk within the masses, paying exuberant amounts monthly for parking, and adding considerable time to his commute just so he doesn’t have to rub shoulders with anyone. 

At all times of day his rage renews itself, waiting for a tenant to park his car, having to commingle with people at work, not having an office like he did in L.A., having to relay phone messages like an assistant, the usual work day making him feel like he’s worth less in this congested mess of a city. He found his only true release was wreaking havoc on online gamers. 

Ben was methodical about learning the games, watching other gamers, tactics, anything to help him relay the pain of his day to ever last entity out there. He’d been a showman about it too. Making sure to gloat, berating in person, masked of course, about their abilities. His decisions on wearing a disguise, deep down was because he thought it made him look cool. Gave him a gimmick, a way to blow out the rage within him without ever being caught. His counter thought was that others were doing it, so he couldn’t be that weird. 

Kylo_Ren, his online entity, dressed the part of the ‘Star Wars’ character, personally enjoying the custom built helmet he’d purchased online. The artisan that created it, cast it in resin and detailed it with aluminum. The price he paid was justifiable as is used delicate hydrologic units to open and close the mouth piece and had a voice changing modification for easy masking. He had the whole costume, cowl, arm wraps clasping over his chest, the tunic, all of it. All to release the frustration from the day-semi-privately. His room was darkly painted but would use a glowing red light behind him as if it created an aggressive aura pressing his point that he needed no one and all would perish.

It was his only release. 

—-

Rey, who is young for her accomplishments, is in the graduate program on a grant for engineering. On break of course but ready to get back in the swing of things in her second year. She’s spent her whole life figuring out puzzles, putting old junk back together, games on Poe’s phone were fun too. So much so, that with the money she had received from selling her latest gadgets she bought herself one. An iPhone. Sure the price stings, especially being in school but this was something she had her eye on for some time. 

Her friends, Finn, who she met by coincidence shooting darts at Stosh’s, a local bar several years prior to agreeing to be his roommate was of the first she met well off campus. He had a familiarity about him, comforting and warm. Richly toned dark skin, big brown sweet puppy dog eyes, always kept himself clean, perfectly pearly white smile that would stun any woman in his path, but Finn didn’t carry himself like a ladies man, more like a gentleman. It’s why she’d been so comfortable around him. Welcoming even, which was unlike her in some regard. 

Rey usually had no time for a social life. She spent most of her time on the books, when she wasn’t in the library at school, she was in the shop fixing machines, if she wasn’t there she was working. Rey worked several jobs during the summer, and rarely worked during her semesters, especially in grad school because the load was too heavy. Being one for a challenge, she hated the idea that she couldn’t, but it became evident the first week of classes last year, leaving her in a closed off life for the year.

That night she also met Finn’s friend Poe who seemed to followed him around like he was his twin, however they were most clearly not. Maybe in another time, but Poe was of another decent, Guatemalan, he made sure she knew upon meeting her. ‘It must be nice to know your roots definitively,’ was her first thought upon him brining it up.

He was nice enough as guys go. Rugged looking, a man’s man, the type to go shirtless for any reason. His olive skin seemed to darken his already coffee colored orbs. Every woman who tempted themselves catching just a glimpse of his full package would stay stunned as if they’d been turned to stone. His hair always looked silky and held a sheen to it as if he’d washed it with Biotin, making him just sparkle when the light hit him just right. He’d been sweet to Rey but as gorgeous as he was, she couldn’t put her finger on why she wasn’t completely on board with dating him. Kindly, she told him she was just too busy. 

Much to her surprise, Poe moved in after her when they decided they could use another income when she started grad school. Easing the pain of rent gave her some options though on purchases, splurges that she’d rarely be definitive on, on top of the mild collection of items she had built, taking a liking to- those were usually class projects that she’d have spent almost all of her share on building. Of the items she remastered a wall art piece that spans her wall with gears all working together to move enough to pressure hand made bronze hands change, telling the time. Each layer of the piece has a job. This project was her last semester’s final grade. It solidified her admission to the graduate program at DeVry University. Rey had schematics for her graduate program’s projects, rolled up and ( it didn’t hurt to be ready) at the corner of her room in a cylindrical bin next to her nightstand. 

Rey’s room was a mix matched design only harboring items she felt were useful or had a function. She had two nightstands on either side of her double bed. There were nights she had trouble sleeping, well most nights due to her roommates and her physical make up. Her body just couldn’t relax. A friend of a friend told her about weighted blankets, prompting her to sell one of her sought after schematics to try purchasing one. It was a denim fabric, squishier than she thought it would be, but it worked. The weight was enough to help her find her muscles calming, finally finding the sleep she needed. 

Her drafting desk was set up on the wall adjacent from her bed, looking out the panel window. She had no desire for a dresser, figuring there was enough space under her bed for drawers, which made more room for projects she could bring in and out of there on a whim. 

 

Living with Finn and Poe made life easier, rent for one was eased, and their company was almost always necessary. Rey found out early that they were really into their video games. As if betting on them wasn’t enough, they would have LAN parties which basically meant pizza, drinks, and a bunch of their friends over for for days playing computer and console games, which would eventually open up another can of worms. 

The apartment was big and accommodating in terms of the open floor plan for the kitchen and living room area. The kitchen separated the living room with hanging cabinets and an island that looked more like a bar from the living room. The boys insisted on stools there for space. She was sure it wasn’t really that but that they enjoyed sitting there and watching the tv, enjoying snacks as she prepared dinner. Just beyond the bar by several feet for a walkway, were two plush dark grey couches, a short, square teak coffee table, again mostly ever used for snacks or feet, and their big screen tv. Their set up was clearly done this way since this section of the room had limited plugs, and these boys were always after an outlet. They both had ‘command centers’ she’d call them. Which took up the remaining section of their living room which, lovely enough, butted right up to her room. 

The bathroom was located across from the kitchen. An obvious place, she thought. Thankful that it didn’t separate bedrooms, or were located in them. That would weird her out. Especially knowing that Poe sleep walks. Upon hearing that she started locking her door at night. 

Next to her room was Finn’s and Poe’s was on the other side on the other side of the apartment all together. Rey, while having the largest room, found herself out on the couch more often than not because that thin scrap of material that separated them, just wasn’t enough. It made no sense to her to stay in there. While they were loud, they were still entertaining and she did enjoy their company. 

However, since Finn and Poe were friends with everyone, they would invite them all to LAN with them. LANning meant that there would be a bunch of people and computers all over ever surface of their apartment. It could carry on for days and at times found people sleeping in chairs, couches, one she found over the island in the kitchen, another in the tub, and before passing out for the night she had remembered someone peed in her room. Right in the corner by her door. 

That was the last LAN party hosted there, and while it was fun, Rey felt no need to be strapped to a computer when she could sit on her bed and effortlessly win games on her phone like she had the expert key-codes. That and the pee... that was a fight.

In her expertise, she had been featured by Poe on his Twitch feed. To her request only showing the screen. She didn’t know how all of it worked and really didn’t want to be found outside of their home. She would play silly, one player puzzle games, and sure enough those videos would go viral. He had gained so many followers that he too decided to use it as a way to show off his own skill in first person shooter games.

Unlike Rey, who said nothing and played. Poe was very vocal. He would team up with Finn, playing player versus player games that would infuriate them if they lost but invigorate them upon winning. She thought they were simply loosing their minds. How could someone be that upset about a video game? 

Well.

Over months of being followed and destroyed by someone named Kylo_Ren, Poe finally lost it, rage quitting out of the game, stalking off for a walk, that Rey was actually worried about him. She moves from her bed putting her pocket game down, finding Finn who is equally annoyed watching Kylo_Ren’s avatar taunt him too.

“Hey.” Rey offers softly, as if she was talking a jumper off the ledge. 

“Hey.” Finn stares at the screen. There’s a solid stretch of time where he pouts at his computer. “This guy,” he pulls up Kylo_Ren’s Twitch stream, “this guy is why Poe left.”

“But he’ll be back. And it’s just a game...” she offers again softly. 

“Yes but, no. It’s this guy.” Finn goes on and on about how he stalks people online and finds their games to get followers and get players to stop their streaming. “I guess he thinks when he’s the only one, he’ll be the one watched. Get the most views.”

Rey questions this, and why it matters. 

“There are gamers, pro gamers, and guys like that with a shit stain for a sense of humor that get paid to play.”

Rey’s eyes widen with mild understanding. “Wait-so you’re saying I could earn wages by playing games?”

Finn nods, “that’s why people try. That’s why Poe’s so mad at the guy. The more he gets ganked the more people start following that guy instead, assuming we’re not as good as him. If he gets subscribed to then he makes money off of them. And some people even donate.”

Rey thinks she’s got it when she stops and says, “well it’s too bad no one can teach him a lesson.”

As her last word falls from her lips, Finn is already formulating a plan. “Get on Poe’s computer.” He tells her all of his passwords, rolling her eyes at the nude posing as his wallpaper. Rey wonders why he needs that specifically on there, as if he has to be reminded where the body parts are. It’s not really that much of a mystery...Finn hovers over her pulling up a brand new Twitch log in screen asking Rey to make her own name, reminding her not to use her actual name. “People all over the world will be able to see you. Putting out your name is too risky. Come up with something that may represent you- without telling them you’re a woman.”

Rey cranes her neck up to Finn in disgust. “Why?” She sounds sterner than she realizes. 

“There are weirdos online. Do you really want everyone asking you for your number? Or how you’d like to get laid by some guy twice your age, living in his mom’s basement? Does that sound good to you?” 

“Of course not!” She can’t believe some of this.

“Just trust me ok?”

She does, remembering how some of their shooting games tell who killed who in a sentence scrolling in the bottom of their screen. Rey types in: a_dry_sense_of_humor, entering a password and setting up an account. 

Finn smiles reading it and remembering her wit. “This is going to be good.”

Being that he needed to train her, they started out with the usual player versus player games, making sure she held the keyboard right for playing and hitting hot keys. A couple hours Poe returns watching her with his noise canceling headphones on, listening to his music, loud enough he could hear it. Rey didn’t realize she should be listening to the sounds of the game. Instead she’s realizing the rhythm, as she had with the phone games. Her eyes look as though they’re glossing over, syncing with the algorithm even though these were people she was playing with, not the computer. 

He watches on as she kills players well across the screen, switching from sniper rifles to rocket launchers, assault riffles to close range combat, remembering to watch her health, bandage or aid a teammate, use the machinery in game properly. “We might have a chance.” Finn tells Poe.

“Chance at what?”

“Revenge.” Finn wiggles his eyebrows.

“We have to mask her though. I don’t want her be treated cruelly because she’s a girl. You know how that asshole can get.” They both look on to Finns screen and just as he’s said it Kylo_Ren throws yet another tantrum, throwing a soda against the wall we’ll behind his computer as if he’s not even ashamed about it. 

Rey finishes up, ready to start a new game, startled by Poe pulling a speaker from her ear. She actually jumps rolling the chair from the desk. She swats at him -“don’t do that!”

He can’t help but laugh. “Finn told me the plan. We should have you change your look though. I don’t want him knowing who you are.”

“Do I have to use the camera?” She asks.

“If you want his attention, yes. He likes to get a rise out of the people he harasses.” Says Finn. 

Rey rolls her eyes. “Can’t one of you be on camera?”

“For this to work, we have to be as we are. He’ll know someone is playing for us if we do that.”

Rey thinks a bit. “Isn’t.... isn’t Rose into makeup?”

Rose Tico, a friend she made through Finn a couple months back, is a master of many things, but her true love is in the sci-fi movie makeup. It is, of course, how she earned her scholarship to four year art schools around the country. The disadvantage was it came at a time she couldn’t pursue it.

Rose’s love for science fiction started when she was younger learning that artists could take what they saw in the natural world and change it. Change the name, consistency, reasons for being, that could all become one or many new ideas within science fiction. This started her into the world of makeup. Having strong enough portfolio of monsters in multiple categories, her favorite by far were fish or lizards. Then she could play with the layering techniques, giving way to using orbs under the skins she could make. 

Rose thought of going into business on her own for it, but you had to know the right people. Rose did not. 

“Monster make up...”

Rey grins. “She could really work on her portfolio don’t you think? Get herself out there?” 

Finn thinks about it, “I can ask her. We’d probably have to resupply her in material...”

“Oi! What if we advertise a contact for her with the name of the mask design and amount she wants to sell it for? Or her services?” 

“You’d really get your face painted to play video games and mock the guy that has been beating us down all this time?” Asks Poe. 

“When you say it like that it makes me sound psychotic. But he does it. And you wanted help. This is how I can help.” She eyes Poe, “Take it or leave it.”

——-

Finn reaches out to Rose and she is over the moon about Rey’s idea. Since she planted the seed, she could deal with Rose directly. Playing “telephone” was not Finn’s strongest skill.

Her make-up extended past gloss and foundation, she had every color, tool, applicant and could even cast her own head molds out of silicone. Rey never thought she could ever be so excited. 

“Kylo_Ren usually plays nightly.” Finn explains. “It’s why we bought you your headphones last Christmas.”

Rey looks at them a bit, finally realizing why that gift now makes more sense. The boys would get so angry. Hollering well into the night. She actually remembers trying to hang her bed spread over the door to muffle the sound. 

[-ROSE-] So let me get this straight, you’re doing this just to conceal your sex?

[-REY-] Precisely. 

[-ROSE-] I’m in. When do we start?

[-REY-] Tonight good?

[-ROSE-] YES! I’ll be there! What time? 

[-REY-] I’m here now. So any time. Getting Chinese, I’ll put in an order for you if you want. On me.

[-ROSE-] Great. Sesame Chicken and sticky rice please. And front row seat to this madness. 

Rey chuckles. Rolling her eyes at the monitor on Finn’s desk watching videos of Kylo losing his mind. He seems like he’s too full of himself for his own good. ‘Well, we can fix that. Damn straight we can fix that...’ 

[-REY-] Got it. I’ll order when you’re on your way. 

Poe is setting up his older tower making sure it’s useable for him since Rey has commandeered his set up. “You owe me a date for this.” He pouts trying to seem like he’s just playing. 

“What? For using your computer to fix your problem? I hardly doubt that has anything to do with putting you off.” ‘The nerve.’ Rey had agreed not to date either of her roommates to make sure awkwardness wouldn’t override their living situation.

Poe had no response. He was enjoying watching her comfortable in his chair, taking over his space. She’d just figured his smugness was about getting the wanker so heated he would just shove off and stop harassing them. Some of their games are quite expensive and she would be damned if she purchased something she couldn’t enjoy, so better to nip this in the butt before it spiraled out of control. 

Upon starting up ‘Fortnite’, another of the games that Kylo would find Finn and Poe in, she came across a wacko named ‘yourdamannow’. ‘Strange name,’ she thought. Even stranger, the male would rasp ‘Dawg’ over and over again, which had her wondering what mental capacity most of the players even possessed within the world of online game play. Granted her name, meant to taunt Kylo, didn’t bare the same weirdness that ‘yourdamannow’ did. The man clearly had a gig though, calling everything, ‘Dawg,’ sometimes, she was sure, he would just say it, not at anything but to hear his own voice? She noticed how others would join in, assuming they were friends at first and then finding out he’d answer questions calling the questioner dawg at least seven or more times. Every verb, noun, adjective: gurgling “Dawg!”

“Is everyone like this? So animated online?” Rey asks pulling the cord from the speaker so they can hear too.

“No, but it is more entertaining if you get followers.” Finn shows Kylo_Ren’s screen again. “All those people on the side, they’re there because he’s such a wacko. The other night he was screaming at a low DPS count—“

“What’s DPS?” Rey asks. 

“Damage Per Second.” The both of them look on to her, surprised they have to say it since she was just playing like a pro. Poe leaning over the chair she’s in and Finn’s watching as her face turn, starts to back up defensively. 

Rey’s phone goes off. It’s a message from Rose, saving the boys from her glare. “She’s on her way. I’m ordering Chinese, what do you want?”

——

Rose is welcomed in. She’s got a topeakmart rolling aluminum case, filled with all sorts of applicants and every last item she could stuff in there, including casting blocks. Rose certainly came to play. 

Finn and Poe bring her up to speed, “Rey told you your role right?” Poe asks. 

“Yes.”

“Have you thought of how you want to be contacted for work?” 

“I figure just put up my website and they can contact me through that if they’re real bids.Tico-Sci-finds.com”

“Perfect. And small. Even better.” 

The girls both look at him oddly. 

“If it was long no one would see it in her avatar space.” He pauses. “Kylo_Ren should be on in a couple hours. Enough time to eat and get you ready right?”

“It takes time, Poe. I can start now and finish around Rey’s mouth with the last applications. Have you thought of a synthesizer to change your obviously womanly voice?”

“Crap. Will that change what you can do?” Rey replies.

“Well, I’ll have to cover your mouth so you can speak through it.”

“Can’t I wire it through the microphone?” Rey thinks about it knowing it’s Poe’s set. “Mine doesn’t have a microphone. Don’t you have a standing one?”

“You’ll have to press a button to talk to him then.”

“Is that all?” She teases, “let me get my tools.”

——

Ben has had a fucking day. First, Holdo in HR had claimed he used too many sick days during his move, which should never have been spent like that. The company should have just allowed him the time to move. Isn’t that an obvious? Not to them. Why would it be? She didn’t bother finding him either. He had to get it in a snarky email tag was sent to his supervisor, the owner of the company Andrew Snoke. ‘So perfect.’ Then it was lunch, instead of going he sat at his desk destroying people in ‘Call Of Duty’ for an hour when Armitage, from accounting in the cubicle behind him, confronted him about it. Ben nonchalantly told him it was his lunch break and he’d be back in an hour. 

This didn’t settle well for Armitage, “this isn’t lunch, you’re playing games at work.” He stammers out loudly, letting his voice carry more than it usually does.

Super. 

Next it was Kaydel. She would be fine if she didn’t keep popping up everywhere. His afternoon coffee hit the ceiling and rained down on both of them when she materialized out of thin air, right before the elevator. 

Perfect. Thank you. 

After that it was all of the emails that requested everything from him an hour before he could leave. The entire day was spent on trying to just get through it—“How has this become my life?” Ben’s job was to accommodate for better housing and living situations, and he couldn’t even come up with one feasible reason to fix the building he was in, due to all of the stress that pissed on him today. 

By the end of it, he’d walked out, again being startled by Kaydel, like she was part of a horror film. He believed she was trying to give him a heart attack. Like it was some bet they all had. He was sure it was her that was going to knock him down. Lifting his shoulders, though he was clearly taller than her, he squeezed himself around her back to the stairs, racing down them instead of waiting with her at the elevator.

Waiting for his car at the underground lot, he heard a howl of tires whining against the pavement and a crash as if the tenant had a near miss with a parked car and scraped the side of his car. “God damn it if it’s exactly that!” He takes down the man’s name and information, submitting them in front of him to his insurance company. Then he makes sure there’s a police report before taking his scratched car all the way through traffic, back home to Fair Lawn. 

Ben lives alone in a two bedroom apartment using the larger bedroom for his actual room, which is pretty bare due to his distaste in decoration. The most important thing in there lies a California King sized bed, two nightstands, lamps on either one, and a large television on the parallel wall. A large closet separated his room from his office and the bathroom had been outside of it with a secondary door as access as if it were an ensuite. 

The second bedroom was for his computer room. He’s a bit of an extremist, to say the least. Monitors are mounted above eye level on the wall showing his stream, another showing videos of people he’s learning from, one on his desk to the right of him shows the people he’s currently stalking, total of five and notices that two aren’t online yet. X-FlyBoy-X, and FNBOT_2187. 

They were so easy to pick on which made it more fun to watch them flea from games just to find them again in the next. It would actually help him crack a smile. There seemed to be a pattern to what they would pick too. They’d do ‘Call of Duty’, then ‘Fortnite’, hop off the the PC and find them playing ‘Star Wars Battlefront’ (where he’d always hunt them down as Kylo Ren every chance he got). When they had enough, ‘Team Fortress 2’, ‘Counter Strike’ and ‘Pug G’, which finally if he pissed them off enough to get them to rage fit and log off, he’d feel that much better. Good enough to sleep. 

——-

Rey sits patiently after scarfing down her Lo Mein and brushing her teeth. The synthesizer was manipulatable and finally set up right, tested from her room, over their speakers. It worked perfectly. Rose is preparing skins over Rey’s face, she decides to do something ‘simple’ from based on the time they had. Rose referred it to a quick set because she had no mold to work with. “We can set one over the weekend so I can make masks for your face, sculpted in clay and then casted like that. It’ll make it easier for you to just slip it on and go. For now, this.”

First laying the foundation she then brings in the hazel color of her eyes sprinkled with gold flecks, then peppered over with coffee colored splatters, then she applies the dark circles around her eyes that insinuate depths within her. Rey will eventually be given the option of goggles or a full cover contact that would make her eyes completely black. Adhesives are applied as the first set of thin gauged gears are fitted together securely. The second layer is applied next in the same, careful way. Finally the third one goes up, attaching a clasp to the middle of each gear closest to her mouth, which are pierced through the silicone chin that provides a more angled, manly chin, edging her jaw line so as to make the gears ok like they are set within a metallic shadow box of sorts. Her hair is pulled back into a latex cap thin, but strong enough to just hold it. Rose paints this too and lightly stencils gears within that as well. A wig of wires is styled over top, giving Rose an idea of what to do with her ears. 

Rose uses the same metallic foundation on her ears, hemming them up with a brighter copper sheen around the edges. Thankfully, Rey had multiply pierced ears which helped her tie in the strands of wire from the wig into the ear, and managing it back up within the wig so as not to create too much weight for her to deal with. The other reason it helped was so as not to completely block her hearing as some of the games required listening. 

Next her brow, which also included the piece for her nose and cheekbones. It pulled the brow forward enough to overlap her eyes dropping down her dainty bridge, angling it somewhat in resemblance to a helmet used in Ancient Greece. Flat in its entirety. All the way down to her upper lip, using the same anchorage as the piece created for her chin. This installment had also built up her cheekbones, giving it a seamless, completed feel. A Copper sheen was applied to this directly. 

Last element for her face was to decide was goggles or contacts. Rey chose both. “All out. It is your reputation you know!” 

Rose is amused by this, offering two black contacts, and oversized steampunk fashioned goggles. “These are my favorite goggles,” Rose started, “I made them myself. “Kind of super into cosplay! They’re the first pair I ever made.” She taps the glass, and then pulls a pin allowing the accessibility of multiple lenses move over the original surface.

Rey can not believe how talented she is when she sees the finished product.

The absolute last thing they have to do is dress her. Rey uses her best judgment opting for Poe’s leather jacket zipping it high under her chin and allowing Rose to paint out her hands, reminding them not to show them since it would be a giveaway.

It’s time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey unleashed her abilities becoming Kylo_Ren’s solid interest. It thoroughly messes up his night and possesses his day.
> 
> Apartment 527 is visited by the food fairy 526. Savoring his recent offering he can’t help but feel flattered.

As Rose cleans up, the guys get Rey ready, and start playing their first out of their series of games, ‘Pug G’. Rey had played a few times and got the gist of the concept. Stay towards the center of the shrinking map, listen to the game and shoot at everything that moves. All at once her name was overriding the game. People would swear at her for killing them like they didn’t know they were playing a shooting game. The point wasn’t to hand out My Little Pony stickers, it was to survive. After the tenth person she shot down became a crying sack of shit she started her own assault of verbal battery to anyone that dished it. 

Round after round she’d pick people off, following their party of three and some random outsider. Honestly Rey wanted Rose to play, but could tell she was more of a two dimensional fan for video games. ‘Super Smash Bros’ was of her favorites, loving Kirby. Who didn’t love sucking people in and exploiting their abilities? 

A rise of tension struck Finn when he’d been shot, injured but bandaged by Poe, when a howl of laughter took over the apartment. 

“a_dry_sense_of_humor killed Kylo_Ren.”

They could feel it. It was starting. No one killed Kylo_Ren and got away with it.

The guys watched as Kylo_Ren’s Twitch feed starts scrolling with people in disbelief. Some aggravating the issue by taunting him, others telling him to retaliate, and a handful of people flat out logging. 

He doesn’t look all too concerned until he realizes ‘a_dry_sense_of_humor‘ won each round either in a group or single player didn’t seem to matter. He checks on FNBOT_2187 and X-FlyBoy-X and they’re still alive, in the same game, enjoying themselves. Murderously starring through his mask at his screen. If he moves it’s slight. Just eyeing the monitor to his side, pulling up another Twitch window to see if this newcomer is—he? She? He’s not sure, but ‘a_dry_sense_of_humor‘ is on. Without hitting the follow button, he lets the screen linger. Watching this ‘machine’ mock him. He wonders if it’s anyone who watches him, having the wherewithal to try scanning his feed to see if “‘a_dry_sense_of_humor’ was there. All that he could see was spammers and donations to his rage-fitting cause.

“Who are you, ‘a_dry_sense_of_humor’?” His voice is laced within a cruel undermining tone, not realizing he’d been cued up and standing in the middle a a field right before her. 

Her synthesized voice is husky and dry, like an animal from surviving a desert storm replies “Your Mom.” 

“a_dry_sense_of_humor killed Kylo_Ren.”

“DAWG!!” Yourdamannow happened to be playing in her squad, rasping yet again, “DAWG! Your mother’s right!” 

Immediately Ben pushed off of his desk ready for a rage fit. Screaming like a child. Believing they were conspiring against him. “Who the fuck is Yourdamannow?” He skulks back to the computer out of range of the camera looking for this fool too, not being able to contain his confusion. “A typewriter?” His microphone picks up everything since it’s not a push to talk set up. Why would it be? “What the fuck does this have to do with a typewriter?” 

Scrolling through his feed, he finds a video, linking the two, not understanding why this is funny. He watches the rest of them noticing a repetitive trend, reworking scenes from his favorite movies to work with this stupid clip. Finally he watches the player himself, noticing he’s pretty capable. Maybe he just has a weird sense of humor. He nods at himself as though he’s conversing with someone else. 

Calm now, he cues up another game, looking at these newcomer’s screens. They’ve moved on, well the two he usually picks on and now this new person... ‘yourdamannow’ is still stalking ‘Pug G’ howling in laughter as he picks off another player driving down the road in their own car. ‘They must not know each other.’ He weighs the thought. 

Alt tabbing out, he opens ‘Star Wars Battlefront’ for PlayStation, following their suit. It happens again, he gangs up on their team downing Finn who is angrily moping about every re-spawn and Poe is fairing about the same fate when he drops.

“a_dry_sense_of_humor killed Kylo_Ren.”

Ben starts to twitch. His eye darts to the inbox, immediately pulling up the message screen, sending a_dry_sense_of_humor a nasty note before dropping in again. 

The night is young and he figures he can win with this player’s fatigue as the time presses on. The other two seem to be irritated enough to leave their screens in the loading screen, with just their faces coming through the overlay. He watches them as he’s downed again. Their smiles light up -beaming across their smug faces. Thank God for his mask or his face would admit how utterly mad he was. The scowl that hadn’t been removed from the day must have become permanent. This, this joke of a character beating him constantly, made him unceasingly angry. So much so that he gave up and went to bed.

Sleep was exhausting though, when he did he’d only dream of the stress of being beaten over and over again. Like he was being haunted. It didn’t help that he couldn’t tell what sex the person was, like they did it on purpose. At least with him, onlookers knew. His frame was built and obvious. Aside from his headgear. This new player had it down to a science concealing their true being. There were no recognizable features. This baffles him, coaxing himself awake to find that it’s well into the morning and he hasn’t found his release. He’s sure to have a fucked up day tomorrow thanks to that shit stain, ‘a_dry_sense_of_humor’.

——

Finn and Poe continue playing well into the night. Long before Rey had offered Rose time to learn games with her too. Though Rose wasn’t sure it was for her. Too many parts. Too much to watch. And way too much anxiety for her taste. She would be in the background chirping a scream as the guys played ‘Fortnite’. All the building and turning to check- it just messed her up, until finally Rey came over to the couch playing one of the many driving games with her. 

“Thanks Rose.” She said, carefully turning to see her friend stressing out over multiple drivers passing her. 

“For what?”

“Really? You came here and did two hours worth of makeup so I could beat down some screen name to make my roommates happy.” She scoffs, “For what?”

Rose giggles.

“We should honestly get pictures of your work before I take it off for bed.”

“You mean you’re not going to sleep in this?” Rose snorts.

“If I wake up like this I may piss my pants.” She nods over to Poe, “he sleepwalks. I may get punched.” 

The girls laugh agreeing to finalize this makeup session before removing it. It’s late as they wrap it up and Rey offers Rose her room if she’d like to stay. “I should really get back. Maybe another time? Like over the weekend?”

Rey takes this opportunity to get to know Rose more, walking past Finn’s desk toward Poe for his keys. He flinched when she moved over him, pulling his headphones quickly off, “what are you doing?” He looks up at her questioningly. 

“Walking Rose out.”

“Where are your keys?” Poe asks hastily.

“My room. Don’t be such a wanker.” She yawns “Looks like your friend is back.”

“Kylo_Ren killed X-FlyBoy-X”

“Damn it!” 

Rey stretches out a moan of a yawn, “Don’t lock the top, your key never works for that. I’ll be like 10 minutes.” 

Enjoying the humidity of late August Rey walks Rose out to the elevator. They’re apartment is on the fifth floor and there are sections of the building that are open. Pretty design for the summer, less so the winter, though it never stopped Rey from building a snow man on landings. Tonight, well, this early morning she could see the orange glow of the street lamps under the twilight, part of her loved it. 

The calm the night would evoke, that is until her neighbor would scream. He was sure he had problems. He would bang on the door as anyone passed, especially her, which made her so uneasy she’d take off her shoes well before her door so he couldn’t detect her. He seemed to only act out like this at night. Inwardly she’d wondered if he suffered from something, or was just some prick monitoring his door. Tonight, he was quiet. 

Making it to the elevator and riding it down to the locked lot, Rey found she had a lot more fun studying the way that Kylo responded to being beaten. Rose had enjoyed watching the flip outs, wondering if there were strategies to overhaul his mental makeup to make his tantrums even better. “It’s a twisted thought, but I wonder how long we can keep this up without driving him away from games all together.” Rose giggled.

“Well, that’s not the point. I just want to get some sleep out of all of this. Do you know how loud Finn and Poe can get? I’m telling you they may as well go have a drink with the guy. They might find they have more in common than they know.” She rolls her eyes. “Anyways, call me if you want to have another go at this.”

“I’m up to it whenever you are.”

“So, tomorrow?” 

“You got it!” Rose is beaming through her window. Rey waves and heads back inside. Making it back up to the apartment, she hears nothing, opening her door and pushing inside for the night. 

——-

Groggily, Ben starts his day already in a foul mood, turning on his monitor to double check to see if ‘humor’s’ on. It isn’t. FlyBoy is still on though. FNBOT isn’t... ‘what are you up to?...’ Ben listens in to a faint conversation in the background then sees FNBOT sit down. ‘Interesting.’ 

FNBOT, as Ben knows him, notices the light still on, and turns it off mid-sentence, getting the last clip of, “Last night was amazing! Do you think Rey’d” What was amazing? What were they up to? Was he talking about their matches last night? How some new gamer made his legendary presence a joke? Surely they didn’t know each other. Ben has the nerve to go back throughout all of the recorded content. Nothing of consequence, just the image of a woman’s body languidly reaching across his desk for something. Her face blocked by the camera’s edge. It has him wondering if she was doing that on purpose. 

Ben’s lack of sleep has his day spiraling out of control. Everything about it was destructive. Had he had more time off he would have taken the day off. Work. How he loathed being there. 

Today he had to attend two conference calls and answer questions proposed by the building committee through email, thankfully. Hiding behind his computer screen had added some relief to the day. It also gave him the ability to check on his feeds. He wanted to see the numbers, know his worth, when he remembered the note he left for his new stalker. 

Remotely checking his messages to find a reply. Looking around casually before opening it with a smirk, the reply was simple: QQ. A simple trolling, crying eyes face. Two capitalized “Qs” should not have pissed him off so much, but it did. It signified weakness, something he didn’t want to admit to. This person was going to be destroyed if he had anything to say about it. Against better judgment, he opened up the reply window replying:

To: a_dry_sense_of_humor  
[ Last night was beginner’s luck. Don’t kid yourself. You’re nothing. You’ll never win. ]

He retreads his potency twice, nodding at his message before sending it. For some reason it solidifies his hour figuring ‘Humor’s’ response won’t materialize. Thinking maybe he’s sniffed out this one time troll. When he can’t simply help himself and reopens his handheld PlayStation unit again. Against better judgement, he opens his messaging noticing a reply: 

To: Kylo_Ren:  
[ It seems I already have. Bitch. ]

The veins on his neck start to pulse at his collar. Gritting his teeth he pounds out another reply to match: 

To: a_dry_sense_of_humor:  
[ You have won nothing. This is just beginning. I will destroy you. ]

Instantly:  
To: Kylo_Ren:  
[ You couldn’t destroy your way out of a paper bag. ]

The comment shouldn’t make him as angry as it does. It’s juvenile at best. He thinks he maybe arguing with a teenager maybe even a preteen at this rate but can’t seem to let it go. By the end of the day he has fought with a_dry_sense_of_humor throughout his meetings. He had lashed out in them and in the emails when he tried to get back into a normal rhythm. He even tried going for a walk around the building instead of playing games on his hour lunch, just to come up with better one liners to zing at this possible pubescent child. Tamer fights, but as the day urged on, so did the potent swells of the responses. 

He had to slow this somehow as he noticed the stress from losing these fights all day started making him shake. Kaydel’s quick appearances had him just about ready to throw his third coffee, which would undoubtedly get him cited or fired. ‘Breathe,’ he’d try to listen to himself, when five more messages popped up from ‘Humor’. 

Shutting down his computer, he left without a second thought, stalking out of the office, right into the elevator, oblivious to Kaydel this time. Staring at the PlayStation responses, he swears openly about it, prompting Kaydel to giggle. The sound makes him want to punch the wall. Everyone is mocking him. 

His ride home was no less stressful, anticipating responses to his messages he would refresh the icon at every stop light. Thankfully there were people ahead of him that couldn’t navigate a right turn letting him sit and stew about the adrenaline he was hopped up on, just to be reclaimed back into the present by an idiot rapping on his window. Surely this wasn’t an attempt at road rage right? 

Ben obligingly turned off his car, opened his door and towered over the fucker ending the confrontation without having to say or do anything. If only his presence in video games had the same prowess. Smirking for the first time in hours, he got back in and set his sights on home. 

Upon making it to his door he found a bag and treats in it hanging from his doorknob with a note tied to it. The old lady next door used to bake items for her family and offer it to neighbors like this, she moved a week after he moved in. Looking down at the treat he realized they were chocolate chip cookies, still warm and creating condensation on the inside of the bag. The note was simple: 

[Have a better day. Apt: 526]

He had never been social enough to know any of the tenants in the building he shared but 526 was just across the way from him. They were noisy, but so was he. Upon studying it, the note was similar to ones he would find either on his door or fallen on the floor before it as the stickiness from the glue dried up from the exposure to the elements. Apartment 526 seemed to always reach out after he’d have a rage fit or broken something. They were neighbors after all, and he would share rage with them constantly. He’d usually crumble the notes and ignore them, but this time there was food.

Stress from the day rendered his fine motor skills useless, grabbing the bag in his fist while thrusting through the door, crumbling the cookies. The little glimmer of hope those morsels could have provided were now just flavorful dust in the bag. “Fuck” He complained quieter than usual. Homemade food was a weakness. Destroying this delicacy just added to his torment which brought him right back to ‘Humor’.

———

Rey, who had finally finished the last load of laundry, met up with Rose who promised to be over around four. “What’s in mind for today?” Rey asks.

“Well first we’re going to make a mold and then we’re going to make blanks with plaster. So I can design some at home. Then your makeup tonight is going to be a lizard! I can’t even tell you- I thought of it last night on the way home and I’m way too excited for this!” She can’t hide her joviality. 

They head in together. “Make yourself comfortable she tells Rose, bringing her laundry back into her room. 

“Any more on that Kylo_Ren guy from last night?”

“Nah, I’ve been down stairs all day.” 

“You know you can look up that twitch thing on your phone.”

“I’m sure you can,” she laughs, “I honestly was just enjoying the heat downstairs. It’s like a sauna in there. Nerve calming you know.”

Rose snorts, “sauna in the summer, not my first soothing thought.” 

Rey beams, pulling treats from last night’s batch and new dough that had been chilled overnight, baking off the rest. “Have some before the guys get home. They don’t share well.” Rose watches her carefully roll the remaining dough into balls and then into a sugar coating before placing them on a parchment paper prepared baking sheet.

“What’s the sugar do?” Rose’s curiosity buds.

“Oh it keeps it together so when I plop it on there it doesn’t stick to me.”

“Huh.” Rose pops out of her mouth as if she was mentally making a notation of it to try around Christmas time. 

“There’s milk in the fridge if you want or coffee over there if you like.” Rey offers punching a number into the oven’s timer. 

Rose nods thanking her, as she comes around the island for a glass to retrieve milk for. “Why all the baking? Especially in the summer?”

“I love my sweets, but I’m finding there’s a lot of oil in what I buy at the store. Better to just make it at home. Besides the boys are nicer when there’s a treat somewhere. Less bickering.” She shakes her head, “it’s like they’re married.”

Rose listens intently polishing off her first cookie and going for a second. 

“Finn is usually fine but he can be a basket case germaphobe, and Poe can be a pretty boy but he can be quite dirty about it leaving his stuff everywhere. When they have a treat it’s like they magically can figure out that the apartment is shared.”

“I have a pretty good feeling that’s all men everywhere. You know what they say, ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’”

Rey shakes her head, grabbing a marker and a sticky note, writing:  
[ Have a better night. Apt 526 ]

“What’s that for?”

“Our neighbor seems to have awful nights. He sounds like his stress eats him alive. Figure he could use a pick me up.” 

“Is he cute?” Roses eyes wiggle suggestively. 

“I wouldn’t know, he never comes out. He could be an old man. But the way he carries on it almost sounds like he’s dealing with post traumatic stress like Poe’s Dad. It’s actually why Poe moved in with us- besides alleviating the stress or rent.”

“Hm.” Rose thinks about this. “Has he ever said thank you?”

“Not yet. But it puts a little hope in my day that someone’s looking out, you know?”

“You’re a strange bird.” Rose teases. 

The oven sounds, prompting her to turn it off completely and pull two trays of hot, oozy chocolate chip cookies from the oven, telling rose to wait. Two racks are set to cool before she pulls a new plastic bag and twist tie for apartment 527. Scooping up the best looking of the bunch, she places three in the bag, fixing it up and securing the note once again. 

Pleased with herself she nods to Rose and makes it out of the apartment, across the hall, which is wider than most and spills out into a foyer before leading itself to an elevator to the right. As she ties the bag onto his door she hears the elevator ping and the doors slide open. No sign yet of her roommates but didn’t want to be caught leaving the treats for 527 if he was as angry as he always seemed. Rey scurried back across the hall into her apartment, surprising Rose. 

“You look like you were caught.”

“So do you.” Rey laughs. 

———

Casting goes well. Rose has enough materials to set two hard casts in case one breaks in any way she has a second. Then she pours her plaster mixture into the molds that will eventually harden creating a natural surface for Rose to build up on at home. 

They pause after to clean up and Rey offers Rose a choice of ribs and margaritas or Chicken Marsala and whatever is left in the fridge, opening it up to show a half used case of water, cans of Code Red Mountain Dew, and a half gallon of milk left in the fridge. Rose snorts, “What an amazing way to ask! I can’t even- too funny.”

“So ribs?”

“Ribs it is!”

“Oh good they’ve been marinating all day.”

“Get another sticky note. Men like meat.”

Rey raises a finger making a solid thought form before she hears his door open and shut behind him. “527’s home. Maybe another time.”

“No, no, you gave him cookies... you give him the option for meat too. Maybe he’ll return the favor.”

Rey’s face blushes as brightly as the strawberry margarita mix, “Rose!”

“I hold the door open for you, just knock and run back in here. I mean it can’t be the hardest thing you’re doing tonight. You’re getting dolled up in silicone to knock down someone’s ego anonymously...but publicly...online.” Rose tries to convince her.

It’s one thing to do it when he’s not home, but the thought of being yelled at for kindness has her withering where she stands. Not out of fear of him but not knowing if she can bite her lip if he did have the gall to yell at her. 

Rose interrupts her thoughts, “you’re fast, you’ll be fine. Put an offer on there like a drink if he has the balls to come over.” 

“Pfft,” Rey snorts, “Okay. Okay. Let’s get this going then,” clearing up the remaining mess from baking, she pulls three racks of pork ribs. 

“Yeah you have enough.” Now semi-concerned, as if this food thing was a ‘thing’ she was over doing for this guy, “How are you handling this food splurging if you’re in grad school?” 

“Oh no, the guys help pay for food. We have it all split up, like down to the cleaning supplies. Summer food is way different from semester food. It’s ok to eat like this right now. Don’t worry, I’m not burning my grant money on food.” She laughs. 

Rose’s face lightens from the shedding concern, breaking back into a smile. “You must have them whipped.”

“Never thought of it like that. But they must be—“

Finn and Poe make it back raising the tempo that much more. 

“Hey Rose! Welcome back for round two!” Finn leans a kiss into her cheek. 

The girls look at each other sharing a moment of pure adolescence. Rose’s eyes alight, showing her screaming in excitement before her grin presses hard into her cheeks as if she was trying to puncture them with the corners of her mouth. Rey’s eyebrows shot up so high she thought they were on the ceiling. She even looked up to ‘make sure’ they weren’t.

“Hi Finn,” she squeaked.

“What’s the plan tonight?” 

For a moment, she’s not sure if they had plans or if he meant after their makeup they would go do something. Saving her friend, Rey says, “Dinner first. Ribs and margaritas, make up, and then if you too wanted out, I mean it’s Friday and all...” she wiggles her eyebrows now knowing they’re not hanging off the ceiling.

Rose’s cheeks redden, and Finn’s grin widens. “Did you want to go out,” Finn asks Rose. 

Rose’s head jerks back, surprised he even so much as asked. “Sure. Where would you like to go?”

Finn looks like he’s just learning to use his eyes for the first time, not really sure what to do or say. Certainly not knowing that she would go so willingly with him anywhere. 

Rey speaks up, “why don’t you take her for a ride? You can use my bike if you like, I know your licensed. Rose can use my helmet. Go get yourselves some ice cream. You know,” she presses more buttons on the oven, preheating it for the ribs, “a nice date?”

Finn squeaks an unmanly sound at the word ‘date’ as if he was going to die if she said no. “Would you like to do that?” Finn’s voice clearly higher by a few decibels than it was when they first came in. 

“That sounds lovely,” the pair can’t look away from each other. 

“Great.” Finn finally says slapping his hands together. 

“Great.” Rose repeats him, not losing his eye contact. 

Poe strides up to the kitchen, “Hey Guys,” his acknowledgement is for everyone and then Rey, realizing she’s applying the second rub to give a solid crust on the ribs, “Rey when you’re done, I could use a shoulder rub too.”

Meaty and gross she paused turning on the faucet to spray him with the attachment, for bad behavior, like reprimanding a cat who licked the butter. Poe fled the kitchen as if it was pepper spray, gaining a calmer crowd rather than the hormonally thick air that threatened the food space. To Poe, nothing belonged in the kitchen, but food. Mission accomplished, he thought as he noticed the pair making it to the couch. 

Finn pulled up Rey’s account on his PlayStation, noticing a reply back from Kylo_Ren. Upon opening it he notices all of the messages. “Peanut?” Finn’s voice wavers, “where were you today?” Calling over his shoulder. 

From in the kitchen pulling a large bowl from the cabinet to make coleslaw. And another to finish off the potato salad she started in the morning, Rey pops back, “down stairs all day handling laundry. Why?”

Finn doesn’t realize she’s now crowded by his side looking at all of the messages back and forth, cruel from both entities, “Poe?”

Of course it was Poe, he could drop and give a fight about anything. He’d run his mouth about just about anything though. He grew up in Camden. That in itself was enough of an example of his toughness. Whether Kylo_Ren knew or ever figured out Rey was a woman, he wanted him to know that she hated him as much as he did. Poe as genuine as he was to his friends, he was the polar opposite if he was ever crossed. He figures he was just looking out for her as a precaution. “You can’t do this anymore,” says Finn with finality. “What if he finds her? Figures out she’s a woman? This is off putting but this trolling can get her hurt if he’s a true asshole.”

He reassured Finn telling him he won’t, “in the meantime, I’m delete these. Getting her banned will only destroy our chances at bringing him down anyways.”

They agree and get rid of the evidence. 

——

Ben hears a knock at the door as he leans in for another bite of his pulled chicken sandwich, looking over his messages, noting there are no new ones yet. He rises at a second knock, thinking he’d heard a slight whinny of a squeal, followed by a door shutting quickly. Smirking, he looks at the bag of freshly made cookies, wondering what else 526 had to give. Peering out the peephole and seeing no one, he now has the opportunity to open the door. A note attached to a Tupperware container with another warm item in it. He picks it up quickly retreating inside. 

He eyes the container, removing the top to steam almost pouring from it, to generous helpings of what he supposed is her dinner. ‘It smells amazing,’ he grins at himself and then at the door. Remembering there’s usually a note he searches the counter for it, finding it as his fingers stroke the bottom of the container. Carefully peeling it off without dumping it, he reads 526’s note.

[ Drinks and second helpings across the hall. Apt. 526 ]

Flattered he keeps the note with him, pulling a fork from his drawer, and paper towels from the roll above the sink. Sitting at his kitchen’s island, he leans on it with his forearms, digging into his tray, grabbing at the sticky mess of ribs. Inwardly he hopes to God 526 isn’t some middle aged cougar as he savors his first bite. His eyes roll back into his head enjoying every last bite, thoroughly sucking each finger and then his thumbs, making sure not to share any of it with his napkins. He finds himself groaning in appreciation. Imagining her, by way of her little noise, 526 has to be a woman, sucking the pads of his fingers instead. His hair follicles on his scalp prickle, electrifying his senses. ‘Food. Fucking food. 526 has got me hard and wanting and I don’t even know what ‘she’ looks like.’

—-

“Make up time!” Rose is elated. “We’re going to make you look like you have a lizard sitting on your shoulders. It’s going to be amazing,” she motions her hands around in the direction of the body. “It should literally look like you don’t have a head.”

“I am already, all about it!” 

An hour and a half of make up go by and Rose has finished yet another amazing piece. Rose went with a larger than life lizard to showcase a blackened body with boldly colored stripes of gold streaking around and down its body, fading into a bright blue tail that wrapped around her shoulder. The lizard’s head jutted off over her ear making it look asymmetrical enough to throw Kylo off completely. A front leg was designed down her nose to keep her eyes hidden within the same black contacts. Shrugging on a green camouflaged cape that was clasped behind her, and accepting boa of fall leaves that crinkle around her critter, Rose deemed ready. “Time for pictures!”

Rose is sure to photograph all angles and get closeups. “How does it feel?”

“It’s light, despite the fact that it’s asymmetrical. I’d think it would be lopsided or heavy but it isn’t.” Complementing her friend. 

“Great!” Rose takes notes on the design, and dates it. “Ok, only thing is, you can’t talk or smile like laugh or whatever, because your face I like in the underbelly of the design. So if you can’t help yourself turn off the camera or turn or get up completely.”

“Good to know and I got it covered.” They chat a little more about plans and Rose confirms that she’ll be back after to help her with her makeup removal after ice cream.

“And whatever else,” Rey laughs. “Take your time and enjoy yourself. Options always open to sleep here too.” 

“Thanks Rey, we’ll see.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey’s makeup tonight scares Poe constantly. Rose builds a portfolio, gaining a reputation that far exceeds her awareness. 
> 
> Kylo pokes Humor, pushing her to let Rose comment on the situation before seeing Mr. Skywalker for a contract signing.

Poe looks at Rey, finally admitting that he hates this makeup after Rose leaves with Finn. “Out of all of the things she could make you, this... this is what she picked.”

Rey pushes a hand up the cape, raising the strung leaf boa over her mouth, “this is fucking you up, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” He looks over and jumps slightly, hearing her but not seeing her head.

Rey giggles, snorts, then down right cackles at him. “Well, now you have to wait until Rose gets back at least.”

“I can’t even focus—- even if I go in my room you’ll be haunting me with that shit in your feed.” 

Another giggle passes through her, “lets see what everyone else thinks, yeah?” Turning on her camera, and letting the show begin, her feed fills with surprise, swears and little icons she doesn’t pay much attention to. Greeting everyone, realizing overnight she had gained five hundred followers, “that’s new. We’ll, hi every body. What are we playing today?” It would seem that she was the only gamer asking what to start up on, even though it couldn’t be true. 

Poe tried barricading himself with a wall of her last semester’s books to block out his peripheral vision, when Rey turns and the black blob of a lizard startles him. “Damnit! Stop that.” Engaging her in more bubbly laughter. 

Kylo_Ren killed X-FlyBoy-X.  
Kylo_Ren killed a_dry_sense_of_humor.

Rey’s giggling continued even though she was picked off, infuriating Kylo, “BOOM!” He wailed through the static of his microphone. 

“Might want to fix your mic,” she said giggling fixing to throw a sticky bomb at him. “Boom yourself, Ky.”

a_dry_sense_of_humor killed Kylo_Ren.

“Don’t make up nicknames for me,” he warned. 

“Ky?” Poe interjected. “Isn’t that a brand of lube?” All at once Kylo_Ren’s feed blew up into a list of types of jelly, toys, sex jokes and links. Poe, whose known to laugh, and hard, falls out of his chair, onto the hard wood floor sending his chair flying behind him. He’s gotten to the brink of tears needing to get up and walk it off. “This—oh God... where’s my phone? Finn needs to know.”

Selecting Kylo_Ren’s link, Poe sends it on to Finn, who shares it with Rose. Finn has always been more into calling than texting, call him ‘old school with new tech,’ he FaceTimes with Poe. “You can’t be serious, did that really just happen?”

“It did! I-Finn- I fucking have a cramp from laughter.” 

“Why can’t I see Rey?” Rose asks pushing her face close to the screen.

“Poe’s afraid of it!” Rey turns, making Finn jump too. 

“Rose, that thing is awesome but it’s messing me up. I can almost promise sleep walking tonight. You’ve been warned.” Poe returns to his computer.

Kylo_Ren killed a_dry_sense_of_humor. 

Distracted, Rey’s aviator is counted in a few more times without realizing Kylo had killed her each time. “I suppose you only have the upper hand when I’m not giving you attention. Is this a cry for it? Ky?”

Again they go crazy, sending all types of inappropriate content, before someone has the balls to start filling her feed with it. “Oi! You know I don’t read any of that. If you’re linking me dick pics, you can log off.”

“Hmm, you can give it but not receive? Sounds like a personal problem.” Kylo taunts. 

“Hmm... maybe for you.” She baits him. 

This trend happens to continue for the next week where Rose has dolled her up as different types of aliens, by request of some of the twitch followers, gaining her more and donations started rolling in from there. Then Rose decided to try something well out of her comfort zone trying two different kinds of plants, both flowering but both at different stages of their lives. The first was a dandelion, which she had to create the standing seeds on their own with pipe cleaners, silicone and cut white feathers, certainly an ambitious project, especially making her head look completely flat like the head of the stem. The next was a sunflower, which hiding her eyes became a near impossible task, until noticing she could hide them within the rough center. Not as well as she would have liked, but certainly better than making the them stick out of a bulged stem, hiding her head there. Rey also played the part of a puffer fish and sea anemone. They had bought a black light and color specific paint to make it look real, but Rey’s favorite part was the mechanics of it. She was able to pull a string, pulling them back in and a button eased them back out. 

Rose would continue working with her on simpler applications as business started picking up throughout the week. All devastatingly amazing, perfect paint jobs, no muddy coloring at all, when she’s contacted by a recruiter looking for up and coming makeup artists for a few bids from actual companies. The recruiter is informative with the expectations for each artist. They’re given a month to complete two significant works at home, and one that is expected to be done on the fly within their studio. Every piece needs to be completely workable in a scene. Flawless and functional. Rose agrees to the terms and paperwork for the event would be mailed to her and due back within the week unless she would be able to get into the city to sign the contract upfront for her spot in the show. Rose agrees to go in person. 

The same day Rey offers to go with her friend taking the bus in. “Rey, I can’t even believe this is happening.”

Rey knows the city and it’s scams, she’s watching out for her friend by going, “just remember to thoroughly read everything before signing. You want to make sure your work stays yours and you’re not signing away what you show.” Rey had been spoiled by a student last semester that took her schematics and ran leaving her to figure out her final project by herself. That was a fantastic fuck up that turned into her wall art above her bed. “Have you given any thought on what you’re going to do in terms of these projects?” 

“I want to do something crazy. Like something that hasn’t been done yet, at all. But I’m not sure how to even attack it.”

“Ok sketch it out and we’ll see if we can make it happen. Just no words- text me because we don’t know if your competition is on this bus.” 

Rose chuckles, but Rey’s right. This would have to be a secret. 

——

On Steam:  
Kylo_Ren opens a message box to a_dry_sense_of_humor:

[Kylo_Ren] why are you ignoring me?

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] are you stalking your feeds for validation? 

[Kylo_Ren] I sent you messages...

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] I don’t see any. 

Frustrated by this he explains they are on the PlayStation.

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] I do have a life.

[Kylo_Ren] solid burn. 

The last word is important to Ben. It’s always been. He would stay up purposely as late as his eyes would let him to be the last man standing in any form of ‘combat.’

“Rose, what do you make of this?”

Rose reads it over, asking for the phone in response, “may I?” Rey nods, her grin spreading like wildfire.

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] I think you have the hots for me and don’t know my sex. 

Rey howls a laugh she can’t contain on an otherwise quiet ride. Covering her mouth as she flushes every shade of pink her body can manage. Rose holds up her finger. “Just wait,” she nods at the impending ‘Kylo_Ren is typing’. 

Ben writes something but deletes it. It feels like he’s tried to reply a hundred times and deleted every chance at a reply. ‘Fuck.’ 

“I think we got him.” Says rose as the bottom message is deleted once more. “Just one more thing — just to mess with him since he’s still not on to us. You.” 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor]: I like you. You’re funny. 

“I’m positive no one’s said that to him, ever.” Rose insinuated. 

What was funny just before was enlightening now. This man child was like this for a reason. Figuring maybe he had problem of his own Rey decided maybe a brash approach wasn’t doing him any good. Yes she would keep up  
With the costumes until Rose was too busy to keep going but the point of this exercise was to get sleep and get Kylo to stop harassing Finn and Poe. Which meant some sort of compromise. 

Ben looked at the screen dumbfounded, first at implying an attraction to him or her, and then Humor admitting a feeling for him. Albeit strange to like an online entity, but admitting it was the first step... just like in those anonymous meetings. He tried, he really did, but couldn’t come up with anything at all to reply with. 

This was a similar feeling that he’d received when Apt 526 would leave him goodies every night. Some of them he was sure had to have been bought. No one in their right mind would hand roll out puff pastry for a neighbor they’ve never met. Each note and treat would make him feel like a dirtbag excepting them without having the nerve to knock on her door. What was he supposed to say? ‘Thank you for your unyielding offerings, I’d like more?’

In the meantime Rose sketches out some ideas and Rey writes notes in her phone configuring items she needs to create this. 

“School starts next week. I have a class where I have to basically cross train in other fields with other grad programs, I bet we could handle this section of it. We’d just have to be really careful who we let in.”

“Or we could get you to be girly for once and wear it.”

“Oh Rose.” She shakes her head.

“It’s kinetic energy, and lights. Right up your alley. Right? You could make that work.”

Rey weighs what Rose has already done for her and her roommates. “I’ll do what it takes.” Rey nods in finality. Rey takes in account that it’s a dress and will need to move, her cross core training would involve a seamstress and at the very least a lights and sounds theatre major—possibly a dancer too. “I might even get graded on this,” she laughs. 

——

The firm is actually real. Filled with seasons upon seasons of art from their sister program, Face Off. Rose feels like she must have died. “I’m dead. I’m dead. I died. Tell me this is real...” Rose muttered to her friend, walking through the hall to the signing room. 

“Luke Skywalker,” a gruff, shaggy, average sized older man holds out his hand to shake Rose’s and then Rey’s. “I own this company with my sister Leia Organa,” noticing the girls are looking around for her, “oh, no she won’t be here today, just me and the monsters.” 

Rey gives a kind smile and Rose stands dumbstruck by the whole thing. 

“Please, have a seat,” he explains the whole opportunity. “We record the sitting so that recruiters can review what they liked and didn’t, so they can weigh whether or not they can use your skill set. The originals you bring here, are yours. We don’t own them, but what is made here belongs to us because you’re required to use our items to create the makeup on set. You can take photos and show them, but three moths after the date of which you created this item. It’s for basic publishing reasons. I have the contract here and will give you a copy so you have it for your records. But once it’s signed it cannot be voided. If you want I can let you look it over and you can mark any questions you might have before signing.”

“That actually would be great, thank you.” Praises Rey. 

Luke bows out and the girls look over the contract. It’s long and uses way too many words as if it was the legally binding contracts that Apple uses for iTunes and every other major ‘Terms Agreement’ out there. 

“I’m going to need a drink after reading this contract.” Spouts Rey, sharing giggles with Rose. Twenty minutes pass and Luke comes back asking if they had any trouble with it, when Rey replies, “you said something about the two items she makes at home won’t be taken from her, but I can’t find it on the contract to make sure of it. Can you point that out?”

“Oh, it’s right up here,” he says pushing his finger pad into the page. 

“Oh, oh good, thank you.”

“Of course.”

“That satisfies my concern. What then, of the recruiters? Will they contact her directly or will they all be here?”

“The majority will have representatives for their companies. Rarely they send a director, but it isn’t unheard of. Ms. Tico has a reputation. She may be perused by someone higher, like the art director or the director themselves.” Admits Luke.

“A reputation?” Rose voice wavers. 

“Your link and work on a gamer’s profile on Twitch. You’re extremely popular. The reason we reached out to you actually.”

Rose lunges at Rey to hug her tightly. The girls share a laugh before Rose signs it. 

Luke just looks at them dumbfounded. “You’ll fill me in right?”

They do.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humor gets to know Kylo. Armitage and Ben create a heafty wager, and Rey has to pop Poe’s bubble yet again.

As that week goes by, as Kylo and Humor get to know one another. Several times starting up their own chat to converse among themselves still playing against each other. Rivalry among them has passed into a goofiness.

“Tell me if you can see this,” Humor shoots Kylo from across the board.

A_dry_sense_of_humor killed Kylo_Ren.

“I’m never going to tire of that,” says Humor. 

A grumble. Then a command that Humor queues up again.

“No. You can sit and watch me win this game or pout in the corner.” Giggling under her makeup, thanking heavens she made the microphone sound improper. 

She looks back at him lounging back in his chair, when she falters, falling from a ramp on ‘Fortnite’. ‘That’s the way to beat her.’ He thinks.

Later that night. Kylo finally has some wins under his belt coupled with devastating Humor. Of course he lets it get to his head standing and gloating, giving back the frustration Humor poured on him the last few weeks. “That’s right!” He shouts again assuming Humor is offended with tonight’s application giving nothing away. Rose had a sense of humor remaking a classic Greedo mask, enhancing her skill that much more giving Rey the ability to drink from the mouth attachment. She had to be able to breathe, why not drink or eat. 

That was distracting. Finn started handing her food on long kabob sticks to shove into the opening. Her twitch stream had been exploding with subscribers telling them what Humor should do next, or eat. All of which wondering who Humor was behind the mask. So many begging to show the reveal at the end of the night, others donating which prompted her thank you’s, still a husky metallic sound, but thanking them by screen name all the same. 

Every penny of what was earned was being donated back to Rose to replenish her kits as this was a necessity over everything else. Once Rose was, she divided any other earnings up four ways figuring it was a team thing. Rose’s art, Rey’s attention to detail, Poe’s computer, and Finn’s gaming training all worked together to see this through. It seemed only right. 

There would also be nights where, Rey couldn’t sleep, where Rose would help her take off her application and head home, when the guys would pack it in and Rey would still be up worried about her impending classes. Grad school—she remembers a student telling her was the depiction of the sum of all of your greatness overcoming all of your failures, it’s fatigue and composure all at once, but it will feel like a freight train wracking your body until you graduate, so buckle down with the last shred of self acceptance and face the devil that the next semester will attack with. ‘Scripted little theatre major,’ she thought, looking down at her schedule. Rey took three classes, Schematics, Engineering 201 (graduate level) and Multidimensional Cross Core Learning, which basically meant apply your field in another level of expertise. Those nights right before school, she’d find herself looking for a paper bag to color, cut out holes for eyes, ears for Apple earbuds and a mouth in a straight line in case she wanted to eat or drink. Rey would put on shades and sit in her room, just talking to Kylo_Ren if he was on. 

Kylo found this behavior interesting, they were enemies, why on earth did Humor want anything to do with him after owning each other? He teases Humor on this choice suggesting that Humor is interested in bedding him. That started a new can of worms. Both sides of fans hypothetically howled at this, poking their beasts for a new angle. 

“Hmm Kylo,” Humor said, “you want to play like that?”

Kylo’s shoulders up, crossing his arms on his desk, leaning far forward so his mask was all she saw, pressing a heated laugh out of the confines of his mask. 

“How about a wager? To make this fun. Call it—a game. You win a round, I’ll answer anything you want to know about me or remove an article of clothing, of my choosing. So you can be sure of who you’re versing.”

He just stares not sure of how he wants to handle this. Humor has bested him so many times, and he has in certain games all but devastated her. “How do we select the game?” He watches as Humors head moves to see her stream. 

“The fans will tell us. Say pick the fan who suggests the round based on the round number. Fastest wins the game selection. But we have to say something to trigger it. Like select new map or something to start it—to make it fair.”

Kylo laughs at this. He takes in account of Humor’s appearance, the frame of this individual, thinking Humor must not be a woman if she’s pulling this kind of game from her repertoire. He sits back not sure if he wants to take this bait. His wait is creeping through him as they stair at each other. Humor, thanking contributors donating to this turn of events. 

“If you’re afraid that’s fine, you can always play for a question, or my number, Kylo. It doesn’t have to be clothes. Afraid I’m a dude?”

“For that answer, you’ll have to beat me.” He cues up his list taking a moment before starting. “What are the games we can play?” 

“Well, my roommates are asleep, so only pc games that I can do in my room.” 

Intriguing him again at the possibility of Humor’s sex. She knows she’s pigeonholing him into a series of games he’s had trouble with strategy with. There’s no way he could win. But with this underlying game maybe he could harbor the focus required to know the faults of the enemy. 

They udder the words that promote the contest of fans to select the first game, ‘Fortnite.’ Good way to start, in a game theirs evenly matched on. 

They’re well into the match when Kylo destroys a ramp Humor made, sending her plummeting right back down into the map, well before she can pull out her glider, the message on the screen says:

Kylo_Ren killed a_dry_sense_of_humor.

Her bag crinkles when she smiles, anticipating what he might want from her. 

“Honest answer. I expect details, why do you dress up?” Kylo’s voice seemed to waiver, knowing his fans wanted something else from this. Kylo, needed validation. He needed to know where the mockery stemmed from and how to destroy Humor from the inside. 

“The internet, being on camera, makes me feel like I’m in this wide open sea of eyes, with all different judgements looming over me. My fans, as lovely as they are, I can’t help but wonder if they knew the real me, how my life could be altered. Branding myself with a screen name that isn’t mine, seems about the same as masking my face. So it’s really only natural that I do.”

“Why does that matter?” His curiosity spikes. This game between them could be more than a game if he let it. 

Clamping his roaming thoughts down, “For that answer you’ll have to play.” Her fans get ready to select the next game. They select a round in ‘Counter Strike.’ Of course she wins, blasting out the most kills in the round too. 

She has a feeling she knows why this boy gets dressed up. His fits are horrendous, who would want to own that? “Strip.” She prompts. She wants to howl at the devastated look he shuddered with his shoulders, knowing that probably shook him to the core. 

It takes him a minute respond, and of course she’s accepting donations left and right, thanking them as they go, replying to conversations she finds funny when she sees Kylo bend under his desk, removing a single boot. She lets out a small laugh, purring, “so it’s going to be like that eh? Thirteen more wins before I get that helmet off...”

The silence drags between them, as if Humor just counted all of his pieces of clothing, handing out the number like she knew it by heart. His helmet turns slightly. 

“Yes I can count. Surprised?” She taunts, “lets get another one ready.” 

The next game is a repeat, and by some miracle, he wins. “Answer my question.”

“Why it matters I dress up?” 

Surprised Humor remembers, “Yes.”

“Security is dubious. Hiding behind a name that’s not mine, a face that’s half mine, so that I can be places publicly without becoming a target. What if some monster found me? Judging from what even my neighbor’s sounds like, he must be big. The people I live with a can be loud but their of no comparison. He could be dangerous-I don’t know.” She blinks under her bag, “How can you promise safety when you on the Internet, yourself, wear a mask? Aren’t you doing the same thing I am?”

Humor had a point. Repeating her answer she’d applied before even though hers was rhetorical, “for that answer you’ll have to play.”

They play well into the early morning until he realizes she’s sleeping. They’ve played for answers, clothing of which Humor won five pieces from him and he won one sock from her, and some digits. Humor wasn’t stupid, she gave him the right numbers, shuffled differently than what her number actually was to trigger something far funnier. 

Taking in Humor’s sight his or her neck showing under the bag, dipping into the nightshirt, he can’t be sure he was receiving an adolescent boy’s number or his originally suspected woman’s digits. This bothers him considerably, messaging her in their shared window:

[ you owe me another digit. ]

If she gave it he would have six out of ten. He closes up shop for the morning getting ready for work in three hours didn’t seem fun, but he needed sleep or he was sure to kill someone at work tomorrow. The thought of Kaydel scaring him on the regular was enough to agitate him out of bed and into his usual morning exercises. 

——- 

Rey woke with a scare forgetting about her paper bag. Lucky for her she doesn’t scream. Never was a screamer. Really only a chirp flies from her lips before pulling the bag from her face and slamming the laptop’s top down before turning over to face it. Just in case. Grumbling out the door she realizes everyone is awake, giving her a wonderful stare. 

Rey’s hair is plastered against her face and sticking up in some places. One sock is missing and she’s not even completely sure if she’s wearing her bra under her jammies but feels like a decomposing bag of potatoes. “Shower open?” She manages to ask.

Poe had been the last to use it, “Yep all yours.”

“Hmm, thanks. Towel?” She blinks. 

“In there.” Poe assures her.

As she wakes up a bit she notices the disheveled appearance staring back at her. Blinking a few times she also realizes the miniature furbie sized creature in the shower. Trying to avoid vomiting at the look of this bathroom, Rey remembers the googly eyes in the bag in her room. Ripping open the door, still mildly dressed she retrieved them and stalks back in. Five minutes go by when Finn wraps on the door asking if she’s ok. Rey has cleaned the bathroom and made Poe a critter from his excess hair. Opening the door, Rey plops the hair creature down onto Finn’s hand, googly eyes starring right back up at him, “please give this to Poe,” She smirks before closing the door. 

Finn, being a med student, has held all types of things, Poe’s hair critter should not bother him like as it does. His face cringes in a small jerk at the corners of his mouth, desperately wanting to drop that pile of hair. By some grace he has the ability to thank her and bring the mass of hair to Poe who was already at his desk, “your masterpiece, sir.” Finn dumps the glob onto the surface before turning to wash his hands, “complements of Ms. Kenobi.”

Poe lets out a drawn sigh, looking at the googly eyes, enjoying some humor in the widely different spectrum of talent between Rose and Rey. If Rose had a crack at it, he was sure she would have remastered a tiny wig from his droppings. Instead he had a ball of knots from Rey. Scooping it up and throwing it out in the pale under his desk, he waits for Rey to finish before assessing her mood. She only ever looks like that on her heaviest days of her cycles. 

About an hour later she’s done and all cleaned up. “So, school tomorrow. Do you have everything you need, er, did you want to check in at all?” Poe tries to be gentle about it. Her stress level has her seeing red when she starts a new semester. 

“Yeah,” She’s quiet. 

‘Oh boy.’ Poe thinks. “I can give you a ride in if you want. I have to be there at eleven though. Late shift.” Poe is a construction worker doing mainly road work, for him to offer anything in the morning is a huge deal for him. 

“Are you sure? I was just gonna ride over. Just because of parking alone.” 

“Nah it’s ok. I’ll be in the area anyways.” 

“Alright. I’m not planning on being there all day though. Probably only a few hours. Maybe take the bus back.” 

“That works. You ready?”

Grabbing her bag, printed schedule, phone and keys, “ok, ready when you are.”

Poe leads her out leaving Finn to hang out by himself.

——-

At work, Ben had been thumbing through the videos, completely consumed by last night to notice Armitage hovering in his cubicle. “It’s a guy... you know...” he pulls Ben from his thoughts.

“What?” Ben shrugs him off, elbowing him mid-sentence.

“That thing you’re talking to— its a guy. I haven’t known you that long but I didn’t think guys were your thing.” Bowing his body backwards to avoid another contact. Armitage had been just as obnoxious as everyone else in the building, prying at him for his attention. He of similar build to Ben but shorter by a hand full of inches, prestigiously dressed, in a suit as always. Today, pinstripe, with a white dress shirt, extra loud loafers, that he associated with heels. Armitage’s signature look was the opposite from Ben’s rugged one. Even his hair was polished, set in individual lines as if he’d followed a blueprint down to the ‘T’ for proper alignment and had glued together with a full bottle of hairspray. His eyes seemed to sink in with every passing hour of the day, making it more fun to stare right through them. He seemed jittery even in his calm when he approaches Ben. His muzzle seems to scowl even when he’s joking. 

“What do you want?” Ben grumbles putting the phone back into his pocket.

“What? A guy can’t have a little fun at another’s expense?”

“If you don’t actually need—“

“Snoke wants your layouts as of yesterday.”

“Yesterday was Sunday.” 

“You know what I mean.” The wind is knocked out of him as Ben shoves the blueprints into his hands. 

“They’ve been done for weeks.” He argued. “These were drawn up when I got here, but every last tool here has been using me like I’m an assistant. I sit here in this crappy little cubicle like were stuck in the nineties, where I used to have an office so I could actually work on things that mattered rather than the gossip that hums around this floor.” His phone vibrates as one of his messaging systems alerts him of a new one from Humor. Pulling it from his pocket, he finds the next number is ‘9’. He smirks. For some reason this character is filling his mind constantly, freeing it from his ever present passed off state. 

“How much do you want to bet it’s a man.” 

Ben looks up at this bastard pissing on his daydreams, “I bet your two week pay check. It’s the 27th so starting next week for the 15th. That stub is mine.” He growls as Armitage’s eyes widen. 

“I haven’t accepted.”

“Then you agree she’s a woman.” Ben sat back in his chair. He knew enough about Armitage that he was a gambling man, and never enjoyed backing off his claims admitting that he was ever actually wrong.

“No. I was expecting like a twenty dollar bet.”

“I go all in,” knowing Ben is from LA, this really shouldn’t surprise Armitage. 

“Fine. I accept.” 

Ben jots down a small contract, actually smiling today. The first time since starting at this awful firm: 

[ This contract binds Ben Solo and Armitage Hux to agree that with proof an internet person: a_dry_sense_of_humor is or isn’t a woman, losing party owes the amount of the 15th pay period’s wages to the winner. 

Only time to be delayed is if the gender is not found on or before the 15th, only delaying it until the 30th.

Signature for Ben  
Signature for Hux ]

Armitage looks it over as though Ben has written something like this before. Of course he has. Gambling must run in his blood, he thinks before signing it. “I need a copy of that for my records, taking out his phone and flashing a picture. 

All that’s left is a handshake, sealing the deal. Armitage, uncomfortably lingers too long before letting go of Ben’s hand, making Ben want to slap him. ‘Why is this my life?’ He wonders. 

———

“Nine?” Poe questions Rey’s message to Kylo_Ren. 

“I’ll tell you later.” Rey replies with amusement. 

“No if it’s funny, I want to know now.” Poe looks over at Rey in his passenger’s seat. He changes lanes towards the George Washington Bridge, slowing marginally. 

Rey’s smirk widens, “ok,” She giggles. “I couldn’t fall asleep last night so I put Kylo_Ren up to a little wager.” Rey explains it in its entirety.

“You what?! Rey you can’t be serious!” Poe nearly swerves into another lane.

“Poe!” Rey squeals. 

“Sorry! Sorry, sorry.” Regaining control. 

“I have it under control-“

“Do you?!”

“Poe, come on now. I’m not an idiot. It’s not like the numbers are in order.” She giggles. “There’s at least several million ways he can fuck up the number—not to mention accidentally call for an ambulance in multiple countries.” 

Poe’s face changes from angry to overwhelmed with shock, “something tells me you’ve done this before.”

Rey confirms with a giggle. 

“Oh my God Rey.” Poe pulls his fingers though his hair, “what difference does the other countries’ emergency numbers mean here?” 

“The iPhone changes it over—all of them are required to now since they’re globally sold.”

“Oh my God Rey. It’s shit like this that makes you so attractive.” Poe looks over at her. 

“You know we can’t.”

“Because we’re roommates? Yeah.” Sounding deflated. “Yeah.”

“I’m just not ready for any of that - I shouldn’t have to explain this again Poe,” she covers his hand with hers reassuringly. “I know you’ll meet someone and they’ll treat you better than I can.” Her sincerity overwhelms him shrugging her off. 

“Poe stop,” she leans into his space, “this is why... I can’t say anything to you that you might not agree with without you fancying a fight. Same reason I’m teasing the piss out of that online entity you guys were crying about a couple weeks ago.” 

“Rey...”

“Don’t. We’ve been doing this for the last three years. You need a girlfriend, and it’s not me.” Rey kisses his cheek, “I’ll keep my eye out.” Returning to her agenda with a sigh. 

Poe keeps his silence dropping her off in Midtown’s’ main campus. “See you at home,” he manages, deflated. 

“Poe.” Rey knows she can’t cross that line, while tempting, her worry settles between them, keeping her eyes drawn to her paper, “if I kissed you, it wouldn’t alleviate anything, you’d still want more, and it’s just not something I can give. Our dynamics would change, and I’m not in a place where I can handle that right now.”

Poe barely stammers out an ‘ok,’ similar to the ones he’s given to her before. She knows it’ll take him a week to get over it as it has in the past. Maybe a girlfriend is exactly what he needs. Maybe those LAN parties need to come back— so long as no one pisses in her room. 

Throwing his wayward thoughts, “What’s the plan this weekend?” He has no true sound emitted from him, “maybe we can do a LAN party? No ones allowed in my room. But, I’ll cook for it?” 

It lifts him a little, sighing, “maybe.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of grad school is a kick in the teeth. It’s Monday, what do they expect? Both Rey and Ben have their own outbursts.
> 
> Kylo_Ren wins the rest of Humor’s digits, and calls...

“Why am I doing this to myself again?” Rey looks at the syllabus in all three of her classes. There’s so much reading—“this isn’t English class,” she snorts out loud. If she wasn’t so tired from being up with Kylo, maybe she’d of noticed her volume, or that her classmates had even started laughing. Looking through the lists of required reading for her multiple core content expectations she begins to speak over her professor —again. “Do we have to read all of it? Or is it just the fields we’re planning on using for our projects?”

An answer comes up from behind her, startling a curse from her lips, realizing class was still in session. Instead of retreating on her previous boldness, “Well?”

“Well what?” Professor Phasma prompted. 

“Is all of the reading necessary? Or is it just based on the fields you choose?” 

“It’s based on the fields you choose, but for you I can make an exception.” She marks her grade book catching Rey swear under her breath, “What was that?”

“Perfect Professor.” Exhaustion made her no less intelligent, she knew Phasma was out to get her. She turns to the class and speaks her mind, “you think we could get a list going of what we have and divvy up the cost of books based on the list so no one spends a fortune in this class for exactly twelve cents back at the end of the semester? Yeah?”

Sure enough a list is passed around with names and numbers signifying if they could get a hold of those books or buy them. Phasma’s control in the room quakes beneath her. The twig of a woman, stood furiously proud while the commotion resided with students taking pictures of the master list with their phones. Her eyes murderously locking with Rey’s pushing her bar all that much higher. Expecting the world from this firecracker. 

“Professor?” Rey requests her attention again. Phasma grants it with a nod wishing to give Rey as many opportunities to have a harder semester than she, herself has any idea of. “The required projects? I see two, but no specifics. Can you enlighten us? Please?”

Phasma does. “Your grades revolve around your schematics, the project proposal-which has to be presented orally before any allowance for your project is deemed worthy.” 

Rey writes these down and the class follows suit. 

Phasma finds this strange but continues, “you’re given a month to work on your designs and functionality ranging through the specific fields. Your midterm is shown to the entire graduate student body —should any of you have stage fright, you can leave now.” 

Rey raises her hand, “Yes?” Phasma sounds exasperated. 

“I have a proposal that spans dance, theater, fashion, and of course my major, engineering, possibly jewelry making so I suppose that’s art too. May I make an appointment with you or should I just present it to you now.” 

“Make an appointment.” She says flatly, “your designs are important, whether I accept or not. Don’t parade your work before it’s done. It’s how they get stolen.”

“Can I make one now? When’s your earliest available?”

“Impatient are we?” Phasma chuckled. The whole class waited, their eyes watching intently as if there was a battle brewing. 

“No ma’am, just inspired.” 

Phasma’s jaw clenched and told Rey to walk with her after class. After all, she’s no stranger to overachievers, this girl, would surely not be the last. 

A sigh of relief pours through the classroom as if she was going to be rejected. Amused, Professor Phasma moves to explain the remainder of the syllabus, explaining the final would also include the midterm project within the final showing. You will need to schedule a showing for those pieces in the art gallery by the beginning of December, which means your finals will be shown before finals week. Best make sure you have everything ready.

“So basically finish finals before November. Got it.” Rey elicited a chuckle from around the room as she wrote out those notes as well. “Before everyone goes, can we get a master list of what majors we are or add to the original so we have a pool of people we know we can work with?” The class agrees. Why wouldn’t they. Rey single handedly pushed Professor Phasma out of her grand stature with her comments this morning, why would they push back at her? 

Rey thinks even this is strange but wonders if her quickness is from spending nights with Kylo_Ren. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she chides herself. But the thought of him comes up and she can’t help but reach out, pulling up her window, and telling him:

To Kylo_Ren:  
[a_dry_sense_of_humor] you’d be proud of me. I pulled a Kylo_Ren today. Pissed off a professor. Good times. 

Professor Phasma calls Rey to her side as they walk out together, she grabs her bag and helmet. 

“Scooter?” Phasma asks.

“Motorcycle.” Rey says flatly gaining looks from the other students. 

“Hm” Phasma seems unconcerned. “My office is at the end of the corridor. You can enter and wait, I have to get my mail and I’ll be with you in ten minutes.”

“Yes, Professor.”

As Phasma leaves, Rey notices numbers popping up on her phone with introductions to themselves and their majors asking what her plans were. Rey replies to everyone explaining she’ll need their help for the project whether Phasma accepts or not.” A few laugh and send emojis wishing her luck. Of them is a dance major Jessika Pava. Rey knows she’ll need help and she’s the only one in the class, imagine that. 

“I specialize in belly dancing and teach Zumba at a local gym.” Rey’s eyes bulge, ‘of course she does.’ She can hear alarms going off in her head ‘comfort zone breach! Abort! Abort!’ But then sees a message from Rose settling her. 

“Well awesome. Just trying to figure out working space. Do you live in the city or Jersey like me?” 

“Jersey.” A second later, she adds, “Patterson.” 

They converse a bit and before she knows it, Phasma is back. “So your plans, Ms. Kenobi?”

Rey explains her idea passing it along as a kinetic energy outfit that will be made from fiber optics. She explains the presentation for the midterm, as Phasma pictures this overwhelming display of skill. 

“What will you gain from the other graduates?”

“I have two left feet in terms of dancing, so that, and an understanding of fabric, seamstress work... I’ve never used a sewing machine before, and within my own field I’ve really only done simple restoration projects. This is why I want to know if I can get started with this now.”

Phasma nods. “In proposing this, it’s like a contract. If you fail, you can’t go back and do something different.”

“Yes ma’am.” Rey says with finality. 

Phasma nods, “I expect your schematics in a week or sooner.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Phasma dismisses her, watching her shrug on her bag and grab her helmet. Pulling her phone from the back pocket asking someone, “when can we start?” A smirk plays on her lips before the door swings closed leaving her to her cluttered desk and coffee.

—-

Jessika meets Rey at the theatre. There she uses the stage to handle her class. She’s talented. Her body moves like it was meant to be liquid. “Outstanding. I may have a chance at this after all.”

About an hour in, Rey’s taken notes on how she wants the energy to rise. She’s also sketched out possibilities of the outfit itself, hoping to make a connection with the others she’s expecting to cross paths with, thinking maybe they’ll have a better idea of his this should be laid out. She blindly makes concepts based on what she usually wears.

Gnawing on her finger, Rey idly pulls out her phone realizing a new message from Kylo. Grinning like a fool, she opens it:

[Kylo_Ren] I fail to see how I’m now an adjective.

Challenge accepted. Rey pulls up the dictionary on her phone to copy the layout of an adjective to be exact. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor]:

Ky•lo Ren  
‘Khiiloh Rhen

adjective 

Adjective: Kylo_Ren; comparative adjective: challenger; superlative adjective: supremely challenging.

1\. To release unrelenting commentary usually with a challenge or challenging undertone.

Synonyms: challenger, opponent, force, ‘to set against’;

Antonyms: partner.

She lets that sink in, stuffing her phone back in her pocket, watching Jessika finish up her class. 

——-

Ben’s on lunch doing his regular game play destroying newbies all hour long when FNBOT kills him... HIM at work. He stands quickly, shouting “WHAT?!” Letting it echo through the floor. The sea of gopher heads that pop up from this outburst is priceless. At least forty people pop up, including Kaydel, and then Armitage who is back in the corner by Holdo in HR, who has the balls to say, “pity, it was a guy wasn’t it?”

Ben picks up the first thing he can throw and then remembers he’s at work. Throwing shit, even at Armitage, was a no go. “No!” He shouts back in retort. 

“Uh huh.” His face lingers as every other employee sinks down, listening in without their prying eyes becoming the sources of the impending tantrum. Rounding his cubicle’s corner to collect from Ben, snidely, “I’ll take my winnings now.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with ‘her’” he purposely uses ‘her’.

“That rage fit was because someone beat you?” Looking on his screen, “you realize that’s really unhealthy.”

Ben rolls his eyes at Armitage. Letting out a sigh.

“I know you restrained yourself too. What were you going to throw?”

“The stapler.” 

“Good choice.”

“The stapler? Or not throwing it?”

Armitage scowls at him, “not throwing it you idiot.”

Ben receives Humor’s message. Leaning forward and smiling- actually smiling after that intense flip out. “Supremely challenging is right.” Then eyes the text ‘partner.’ He wonders what that means to ‘her’.

“It’s a ‘him’. Why else would he choose ‘partner?’”

———-

Jessika manages to set up times to meet Rey during the day at the theatre, meeting with others outside of their group that Jessika has worked with for her last three semesters. Rey spends all day with Jessika, going over the plans for her project. “Of course, whatever you need for your project— you got my help ten fold, but I need this done in three weeks the latest.”

“Three weeks?” Jessika looks at Rey like she’s crazy. 

“It’s a long story.” 

“I have time. Sort of—- I want to have time.” She laughs.

“Are you by any chance a gamer?”

“Not specifically,” admits Jessika. 

“That’s ok I’m new to it too. I’m having people over this weekend for a LAN party, are you free?”

“What’s a LAN?” One of the lights and sounds guys explained to her. “I have a laptop and a phone. That is the extent of my game playing.”

Rey giggles. “Yeah that’s where I started. One of my roommates, actually both of them got me playing, and now I basically cover their six.”

“I’d need a very patient teacher.” Jessika shakes her head. “Should I bring anything?” 

“Anything you want specifically to drink, otherwise I’m cooking.” That got her attention. “Homemade pizza rolls—“

“What? Don’t tell me you actually make them from scratch—“

“Why, is that weird?”

She shakes her head slightly, “I’m in. What time? And I need your address.”

“Bring something to sleep on, girls are staying in my room... the boys don’t always find the bathroom.” She rolls her eyes to the ceiling promoting a nervous laugh from Rey.

Rey’s phone buzzes, so she checks it and the master list. “I need an artist, and a seamstress. Maybe just a seamstress. I don’t know. Do you know anybody here?”

“Try Paige Tico.”

“Tico?!”

“Yes?”

“Hang on—“ Rey calls Rose, and she picks up right away. “Rose?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s Rey, your sister is a seamstress?!”

“It’s always been a hobby. She made some of her Halloween costumes over the years but I thought she gave it up and went for business. Why?”

“She’s in my class. We could really use her skill if it means keeping tie a close knit group...”

“Call her then.”

Rey does. Paige had been in the field for two years stopping schooling all together when she decided it was finally time to go back and finish. “This is going to be tough fibers will have to be set at an angle so that it doesn’t fray.” 

“I can handle that,”

“And they have to be the thinnest gauge you can get, in bolts. Or maybe do half fats. That might be easier. Do you have a design in mind?”

“Minimally. I’m not an artist.”

They continue exploring their avenues deciding to meet Friday night at Rey’s. 

Jessika looks on and Rey explains, “long story. Friday—I’ll explain Friday. Practice?”

“Practice.”

———

That night Ben gets home to a sticky note but no treat. He figures someone stole it and is immediately angered by this. It was supposed to be for him when he notices the note:

[Grad school. Gonna be late. Have something later for a better night. Apt 526.]

 

“Hm.” He thinks to himself, wondering what that means, opening the door and getting comfortable. 

First thing he does is stands in the door way dropping the food he picked up on the way home, on the island. Stalking back to his living room, he dumps his backpack on the couch, kicking off his shoes behind it, before heading to the bathroom. 

Armitage’s voice haunts him about Humor. “She’s not a guy,” he says out loud as if he was there with him. He pictures the counter as his desk picking up the bar of soap like it was the stapler and whips it against the wall just to release that energy he harbored since not giving in and nailing him across the room. ‘Why was he over by Holdo anyways? Ugh probably whining about the elbow I gave him in retaliation for him being a douchebag’ he grunts again. ‘That guy needs a good punch in the face.’ 

He blows out more steam readying a shower for himself. He strips, and ducks in to the average sized shower, remembering first, his job, and second, all the reasons why being a giant pissed him off. But then, reliving Sunday night with Humor seemed to calm him. She had won two rounds in ‘Call of Duty’ and three in ‘Team Fortress 2’ relieving him of both of his boots, socks and one glove, which to to his surprise gave him a notable gesture of a slide nod, sounds exactly as explained, as if ‘she’ registered how big his hands actually were. ‘Men don’t do that, right?’ He thought, pushing his head further down under the shower head. Water streaming through his hair easily washing the stank of Monday off of him. 

He remembered ‘her’ answers, realizing a number would be less offensive than asking for clothes, he decided on that instead. ‘What if she’s pretty under all of that? What then? Do I really want to share her with the world?’ Sharply, he squints his eyes shut, ‘no of course not.’ He wonders then, why he even asked her to strip with all of her fans looking on. Maybe out of retaliation? Or nerves, she had him almost completely undressed under his desk had he chosen his pants over his glove. 

It felt odd to him not to dress completely, or even not to think of it. It gave him a chill up his spine, not because of the air conditioning, but because ‘she’ got to him. Someone actually got inside his head. Ben decided not to over see this, he needed to be sure to know Humor was a woman before he let her center his personal time. Who was he kidding? All of his time was personal time. Ben never let anyone in. So why Humor? Why now? Why couldn’t he block ‘her’ too.

Groaning he finished up wondering idly if he was making the same impact. If Humor thought of him, the way he found himself thinking oh ‘her’. Why would she write what she did if she didn’t? Could anyone be so callous? ‘Not Humor,’ he thought. ‘She couldn’t.’

Pulling a towel from the shelf and drying off, he wraps it around his waist taking a step out right onto the soap he splintered. This restarts his Monday even though there were only hours left. He slides a mere couple of feet, falling into the tub, thankfully not falling through the ceiling into 427. The thud would have expected otherwise. Groaning once again, hair flopped in his face, with a choice of colorful screams, he makes his way up and to his room, “Fucking Armitage...” he swears, even though he splintered the soap. 

Sitting in his towel he contemplates starting out with the lesser amount of clothes in case they restarted their match later. He nods at this. ‘Best to get comfortable with this’ he thinks. 

Now partially dressed, holding his helmet, he finally remembers his food. Reheated pizza sucks. Sure enough there’s a knock at his door. Of course he can’t open it now, “damnit!” 

He hears light tapping again, and a sigh, cursing her limbs. “Why’d I fucking ride in today?” 

He moves swiftly to find out more about 526 literally running into the door with a grunt making her jump. “Are you ok?” She barely turns, rolling her shoulders and fisting a helmet. He makes no sound. Her figure is average height, slim and toned he can tell by those snug fitting jeans. He stifles a groan leaning closer to the peephole. She grunts a sigh again, “goodnight 527.”

His lips part at the sound of her voice, even in a downed disgruntled tone, she sounds young. He smirks at her foul mouth spouting curses about losing her key on the way up. 

“Fuck it,” she sighs, pulling her spare from the hiding place within the knob’s shell. His eyes widen knowing his doesn’t do that. Now he needs to know who else has it and why he doesn’t. Opening the door, she whines to her roommates, “can someone please draw me a hot bath? And do we have any Advil?” A low answer and movement before the door closes. He can hear her muffled sound, “I’m not climbing that. Please get it for me? Thank you.”

A pivotal moment stirs within him, ‘I could take care of you.’ He blinks, “what the fuck was that?” Then he remembers her key. He shrugs off his costume, retrieving a grey T-shirt, black sweatpants, sneakers, and grabs his keys and phone before searching for her key. He opens the door and almost steps on her treat. “Deep dish pizza? Who is this woman?” Eating as he goes, Ben searches for her key, finding it in the worst place. “Looks like Monday hates everyone,” picking it up from under the elevator door. “How’d that even happen?”

Ben makes it back in to his apartment writing his first sticky note: 

[Found this in the elevator. Apt 527]

Sliding her key with it under her door.

———

Soaking in the bath, Finn knocks on the bathroom door, “peanut? 527 returned your key noting it was in the elevator. I’ll put it back on your ring ok?”

“527?” She questions soaking off her routine with Jessika, “Thanks Finn.”

Another knock on the door, this time from Poe, “I have to poop.” 

“Damnit Poe.” She whines. “Can’t you use a coffee can?” 

“That was one time. I need a toilet.” 

“Go ask 527.” 

“Rey? I won’t look ok? You know I have more respect for you than that—now please don’t make me shit my pants.”

“Ughhh, I live with children.” Moving the shower curtain around her she finally allows him in. 

Poe runs as fast as he can in to get to the toilet releasing the worst smells she’s ever tolerated. “I’m sorry.” He apologized. 

“Stop talking.” She closes her eyes submerging her head backwards under the water, loving the way the surface’s edge climbs through her dry roots, before finally accepting the water over her. In the seconds she’s under she wonders what spurred 527 to be such a gentleman enough to stalk the apartment building to find her key. ‘Food. It has to be the promise of food.’ Not just that the beast could be tamed, or that he may be just for her, but only for food. She lets out a breath to Poe flushing and over spraying the Lysol. “Stop,” she coughs “now it just smells like shit and hairspray.”

Poe tries not to laugh, “I can prop open the door if you want.”

“Perfect. You know what?....I’m done.”

———

Ben gets ready for his game, redressing again, extremely distracted by 526. “What the hell?” He whispers in his computer room. Two little fantasies taking him over, between 526 and Humor, he wasn’t sure what to do first. “I need to get it under control.” He tells himself. Neither would be into his antics. 526 looked like some badass out of those Japanese racing games he was fond of. Who knows what Humor looks like, he thinks of Armitage’s comment. Remembering how much he loathed him. 

Kylo_Ren pulls up his screens noticing a_dry_sense_of_humor is only in steam messaging. He reaches out: 

[Kylo_Ren] shall we continue? 

He waits about an hour for Humor to see it. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] hmm? Yeah give me a second. 

[Kylo_Ren] Busy? 

He hated hearing Humor was too busy for him. He swore if it was someone else he would lose his shit. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] big project. Using too many brain cells. Can you die of exhaustion?

[Kylo_Ren] heat exhaustion. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] damnit. Ok. Let’s start this before I pass out.

Turning on twitch she notices his glove is missing. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor]: you did come ready didn’t you? 

His mind is death. It will be his downfall if she keeps insinuating anything about his arousal from before. Of course the toll of this swells in both feeds as the tension kicks in again. 

Round one, Monday night happens to be ‘Team Fortress 2’ Where Rey is already nodding off into the game being spooked awake by surrounding fire. 

Kylo_Ren wins the round. It’s no surprise really, but Humor doesn’t protest. “3” she gives him. He wins the next three in a row. Though Humor tries, she only feels herself sinking further into her pillows. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] I think you got them all. Call me tomorrow. Yeah?

[Kylo_Ren] tomorrow?

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] I’m sleeping. If you call right now I’ll throw the phone. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] ‘night Kylo.’

This is the second time tonight that someone wished him a good night. He holds onto them proudly, semi frustrated that their gaming was cut short but relieved he didn’t make much more of a fool of himself loosing rounds and clothing like the laundry looses socks. 

He looks down at the clock, “12:30am?” It’s the first time in a long time he’s gone to bed ‘early’. What the hell was happening to him? Was some ‘girl’ changing him? ‘No,’ he thought, ‘I’ just tired.’

———-

The next morning Rey woke with a start thankful to see her phone not blowing up with outsider’s phone calls. Grabbing her master list she inserts everyone’s names putting their major next to them and mcc for the class in case someone from her feed does get it, she can just block them... no harm, no foul. Forty two new entries later, and stars so far with the ones she’s working with, she calls it a morning. 

Trying to get out of bed is another thing all together, she texts Jessika: 

[-REY-] legs are still noodles, taking the bus in. See you around 9-9:30. 

[-JESSIKA-] Figured as much. You really don’t know when to quit. I’ll bring breakfast. :)

[-REY-] I’ll bring Advil, lol. :)

With that Rey wobbles out of her room for the bathroom. Rey has never cooked breakfast in the three years they’ve lived there, so mornings were always a little different. Finn, would make some coffee and read his books if he had classwork, or flat out wouldn’t be home. Usually his residency would have kicked in by now keeping him working twelve hour shifts like usual nurses. Seeing him was a surprise. 

“Rose will be here tonight,” Finn offered, “Monday was hard for her.” 

“Monday was a beast for everyone.”

“Why are you walking like that?”

“Big project, need to learn how to dance. And the salsa isn’t going to cut it. No partner.” Rey pulls a brush from the cabinet, knowing fill well today is messy bun and leggings day, ‘thinking, if I have to wear jeans today, I’m going to have a melt down.’ She could almost hear Finn become a parent here, but he stops himself. “Taking the bus in,” she says explaining her day yesterday, and how all semester is going to ruin her, she’s sure of it. “Jessika, and Paige, Rose’s sister are coming over Friday, possibly sleeping over. I’m making wings, homemade pizza rolls and chili with those baked off tortilla chips you guys like—“

“Poe asked you out again?” 

“Yeah— so I’m bringing back a LAN party. And possibly a girlfriend for him.”

“You’re weird.”

“Jessika is from Patterson— I think they’ll have more in common than you know.” Patterson is not ‘the hood’ the way Poe explained Camden, but it was still a tough little place to call home. Jessika was a survivor, and judging by the way she made her work, she’d be good for Poe. He might even sleep more. 

Finn laughs sweetly at her, and Rey double checks the time. “Do you want a ride to the park and ride?” He asks. “7:45am, you’re cutting it close.” 

There’s a stop a block from us now by that eatery they put in last year, I’ll just hop down there,” she’s ready wearing worn out gym clothes and a hoody, grabbing her things and headphones, “thanks anyways. Have a good day Finn.”

“You too, Peanut.”

———-

Later that day Rey catches up with Paige at school, thankfully, schematics were due at the end of the week. She figured she’d be applying the same work to the two classes, as this was going to be a doozy. 

Paige, minus her new hair do, a bob with a streak of red dyed hair running through it over her left eye, she assures was to show support to organizations she was working with, this month the American Red Cross for heart disease awareness, looked the same. Tall, slender, warming brown eyes and smile. She’d been wearing a grey pencil skirt and and blush pink blouse with flats, because need she remind you, this was New York City, only a newbie would wear heals all day in this ‘town’. Sixteen years ago she was that newbie, wore new pumps and cut her feet to shreds during the blackout in the summer of 2002. Worst Thursday of her life. 

They take time, roughly an hour out of Paige’s day to go over things. Rey is in awe when she makes it back to the art department where Paige has her setup. Pulling a manakin from the closet, she draws up the design, “the dress will be long, and mostly black— silk so it has a sheen to it, you will need to start the fiber work post haste because while dancing is part of the grade for you, you have nothing without this section.” 

Rey agrees promising she’ll work on laying it out tonight, “the fiber can’t be laid in bolts. I have to manipulate it so it lights up on the base of every edge. When it’s cut it is rendered useless in teems of the rest of the laid product.”

“Do half fats then, laying the ground work for individual circuitry on the edges, that will make for less waste.” 

Rey nods, “Rose told you why were doing this right?”

“Yes, she said I could be her plus one!” 

Paige was never crazy about monster makeup but was damned sure this was an opportunity of a life time, and Rose was graceful enough to share it with her sister. This made Rey smile. 

A buzz to her phone has her excusing herself for a moment. Noticing a few messages from Kylo_Ren with choice words. ‘Well now the fun begins,’ needing to talk down a jumper. 

[Kylo_Ren] What you gave me was not your number. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] yes they are. 

[Kylo_Ren] I called a bread factory in Georgia!

Rey giggles. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] why’d you do that? 

[Kylo_Ren] You gave me the wrong number! 

He’s mad she can sense it. 

[Kylo_Ren] if I can’t have your real number, then you play naked tonight. 

Satisfied with his retaliation response. At least he’d get his win from Armitage and call whatever this is or was over. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] Kylo, those are my numbers. Do you really think, I’d give my actual number in order, online for thousands to see? Babe, you have my number—I’m sure you’re a smart enough man. Figure it out and call me.

Rey’s never called him or anyone ‘babe’ and probably wouldn’t have if he didn’t lose his mind constantly. She probably caused a rage fit, and was going to be the cause of a few more when he realizes there’s combinations that call the police and ambulances. ‘Babe’ seemed like the right thing to say anyways, especially after Rose told him Humor liked him. 

This ruins Ben. Fucking ruins him. Of course humor wouldn’t give out ‘her’ number online. Humor wasn’t desperate and clearly not a fool. But the words he kept going back over were ‘babe’ and ‘smart man’. Humor did things deliberately, choosing an ‘e’ instead of ‘y’ insinuating attraction instead of calling him a child. And there’s no man on earth that doesn’t like being called one. Being called a man was like being a noticed successor of your adolescent self. That was a complement. And, he patted himself hypothetically on the back for being deemed a smart man. The discovery of these qualities Humor posed in her response started mutating into fantasies for the rest of the day. 

The way he imagined ‘her’ aching voice begging him to figure it out and call ‘her’ did things to him, enough so for a little stroke or two under his desk, thinking of another variation of numbers, he keys in again, this time hearing, “911 what’s your emergency?”

“Fuck.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma approves Rey’s schematics. Rose, Paige and Jessika have dinner with Rey and her roommates, and Kylo gets some much needed retaliation on Humor.

Tuesday was a beast too, Rey is pushing out her schematics for a second meeting with Professor Phasma. She has the dress design prepared, the fiber optic fabric already in process, with a sample of the fabrics showing on the blueprint. ‘Borrowing’ some from the art department before her shipment was to come next day— thank you prime shipping. She picks up the fiber optic piece lighting it with a series of buttons starting the glow with the kinetic energy. She allows Phasma to hold it and move it so she knows it’s not just a button controlling the color changes. 

Rey explains she’s going to have to cast jewelry to handle masking the circuitry. Because Rey knows Phasma is a hard-ass, Rey already has the designs for the jewelry, two rings, two hip pieces and one back piece to equalize the kinetic pressure. 

Rey explains how she expects the dancing to help the process of color through the outfit and the presentation, even drawing in a figure turning off the lights in the theater and another pressing the floor projector showing the final stage of her project being the splintering effect on the floor. This part of it has been marginally finalized but Phasma doesn’t need to know that either.

Phasma puts her signature on it approving it with the date and time putting Rey’s mind finally at ease. Her professor’s brow furrows wondering why the sigh of relief asking, “was this the hardest part?”

“No. Certainly not.” Starring at her work as if Phasma just slapped her.

“Then why the relief?”

“I’m no kiss ass, Professor, but you signing off on this was important to me.” Rey stares into her eyes gaining a nod, relieving her of this meeting. 

Gathering her things she called Rose. “We’ve been approved. See you tonight?”

“Yeah, Paige is going to come tonight. She’s got some showing on Friday she has to be at.”

“Yeah? No problem. Let her know I’ll be home around four. Took the bus today.” 

“Sounds good. See you then” Rose hangs up.

Rey calls Jessika, “Been approved for mine. Any ideas on yours?”

“Not yet. I’m a dance major. How do I bring in engineering? How did you know what you were doing? I feel so stressed out about this and it’s only the second day.”

“Do you have anything planned tonight? Friday is still LAN night but you’re welcome tonight too.” For some reason, Rey felt she was indebted to Jessika for more than this project. It was her natural want to make people calm. So that inevitably meant offering time and a calm, fun place to enjoy some down time. 

Aside from her general joke about being a grad student and what that implies, Jessika finally said she’d be able to come by for a while. 

This makes Rey smile. The remainder of her classes today seemed to fly by. Engineering 201 would be the time she needed to set the fabric on Thursday if she didn’t get it until tomorrow. And schematics — That was I definitely filler. She didn’t need that class but the university expected her to do it to fill the need for graduating. Here she would turn in small tidbits of her overall project for this mid term in MCC. The rest of her time today was flirting with Kylo, and dance practice with Jessika. 

——

Ben figured ‘she’ was flirting with him. The day fared better for him after he explained he’d called the ambulance a few times at work. Their conversation bloomed from being pissy and arguing to Humor laughing constantly, throwing out ‘lol’s’ and ‘lmao’s’ which he’d regret to tell ‘her’ made him jerk into a laugh too. 

Humor decided to bring it in and give him a few hints. Her name was off the table but she did give him a hint to avoid the numbers that bared any ‘911’ comparative change overs. Ben could not believe ‘she’ was helping him. Kylo would udder his first ‘Thank you,’ in years. To him it felt alien, but he was appreciative that they were typed instead of spoken. Those eight letters were messing him up, ‘Kylo_Ren doesn’t say ‘thank you’...’

On the bus she sends him another message with the list to avoid since she’s sure there’s a way to miss rendered numbers. She sits with her knees bent over the arm rest in a section that offered seats to two, with her back against the window, resting her head against one of the chair’s backs. Exhausted from dance, she figures she’ll stop and pick up ground beef, sauce and French bread so she has enough to offer. Pasta is easy enough. Ice cream and twill cookies-one of her favorites, sounded best.

[Kylo_Ren] Plans tonight?

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] Dinner. Project. Owning you. :)

‘Owning me,’ he muttered. ‘Owning me...’ he chewed the inside of his cheek, chuckling to himself.

[Kylo_Ren] pretty sure I’ve been owning you. I do have your numbers after all.

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] with help. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] if you want any more help, you’ll have to win it out of me. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] don’t worry, you’ll be exposed for all to see soon.

[Kylo_Ren] are you sure you want to share? 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] share?

[Kylo_Ren] share me with everyone?

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] are you trying to tell me your eight characters and the image I have of you are only mine, exclusively?

That does make him sound odd. They don’t know each other for more than that. More than their conversations. It does seem like she could walk off with that sort of comment. 

[Kylo_Ren] maybe. Does that sound crazy?

Rey’s stop cuts her off from replying making him nervous that he’d been so bold. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] a little. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] it’s humbling.

——-

The girls meet up with Rey as she prepares the remainder of the food. Poe and Finn are on their way in as she finishes up when Poe lays eyes on Jessika. ‘It’s almost a repeat of Finn and Rose,’ she giggles hiding her face behind Finns back for dear life. 

“Hi,” Poe stares, almost whispering, “I’m Poe,” pointing at Rey and Finn, “their roommate.” Extending his hand nervously. 

“Jessika,” she offers her name and her hand, smiling sweetly.

“How-how do you know each other?”

“School.” Jessika explains their project and her role. 

“I dance. You, um, you want to go some time?” 

Flattered, she giggles again, “sure, Poe.”

Using his name has him feeling like he’s flatlining. “Friday?”

Jess looks over at Rey, “Rey and I have plans Friday. She promised food for a LAN party. How about Saturday?”

‘Oh my God she likes food, and dances, and agreed to a date, and LAN? Is my life flashing before my eyes?’ He looks at Rey and mouths, ‘thank you’. 

Dinner is devoured and the girls basically steal the conversation, which is fine because all Poe can do is stare. 

Rey’s broken the ice about why she knew what she was doing for this project this semester, and Jessika notes, “makes more sense now.“

“What’s tonight’s costume?” Paige asks. 

“Jelly fish is the concept. I want to work on my iridescent strategies. Just in case it’s a requirement.”

“Makes sense,” adds Paige, “I can appreciate that.”

Rey clears the table and Poe gets up to help. Setting the dishes in the sink, rinsing them properly before sticking them in the dishwasher, she nods to Poe to get out the ice cream and cookies. He works with her, having a silent conversation, “we’ll pick this up later.” She says starting the dish washer. “Bring out the bowls and spoons and ask if anyone wants coffee or tea.”

“Since when did you know how this goes?” 

“Since taking care of you two for the last three years...don’t tell me you’ve been blind to it.” She laughs at his expression. 

Desert was delicious. Poe got a kick out of Jessika trying to use the cookie as a spoon. This was never a thought as to it being ‘cute’ before but not looking at her was truly going to kill him. Staring was a whole different beast all together. He didn’t know how not to. 

Afterwards the girls enjoyed watching Rose work her magic.

“Fuckin’ guy!” Poe’s voice rings out from the living room. Then silence. The girls listen from where they are in Rey’s room, hearing nothing. An eerie silence and then another swear. Rey looks at Rose as she stares at the door.

“This shit is what I deal with every night. If we can’t get this under control, I might actually contemplate living on campus.”

“I don’t blame you.” Rose adds. “Ready to try?”

Rey smirks, “Yep.” The girls emerge from Rey’s room efficiently scaring the crap out of Poe. Her head looks like it’s gone and from the corner of his eye looked like a black mass coming to get him. 

“Rey, is that you in there?” Poe’s eyes dart around looking for her within the coral suggesting her face is gone. The jellyfish is outstanding moving slightly. The translucent film made for the body shimmers lightly, its oral arms look as though its swaying and the tentacles reach out and around the parameters of the body itself like wires instead of ribbon to make it look like its truly swimming. Rose just wishes she could have made bubbles come out of her shoulders or something. Another time she said. 

“Pretty good eh?” Poe cant tell if she’s gesturing her appreciation or Rose’s talent, or not, but his own surprise is written all over his face. “Don’t get nightmares on this.”

“This isn’t as bad as the lizard. So long as we don’t go back to that I think it’ll be fine.” Admits Poe. 

The girls have a laugh before seeing it in action. Paige group texts their class with Rey’s twitch link, showing off Rose’s work. Complements come flying in to Rey’s phone promoting her to ask what happened.

Paige fills her in.

‘Oh no.’

———

The week goes similarly aiding in Rey’s exhaustion. She’s bubbly happy when all have gone to bed and can flirt properly with Kylo, bag and all. 

[Kylo_Ren] hows the project? 

This is the first normal thing he’s asked Humor aside from if ‘she’ was playing or not.

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] its coming along. Thanks for asking. Half my grade- but that’s not my only concern. 

[Kylo_Ren] What’s your other concern. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] whether or not you’re going to call me this semester :-p

[Kylo_Ren] can you just tell me if certain numbers are right? 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] for that you’ll have to play.

And so they do. 

Humor lets him win a round, since the number was kind of sucky to do to him. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] the first two in the area code are right, and the last four. 

She could have dragged that out, but he still had a hundred ways that he could screw that up. 

[Kylo_Ren] you let me win on purpose didn’t you?

[Kylo_Ren] you really do want me to call...

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] if I didn’t- you wouldn’t have those numbers specifically. 

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] now... its time to turn off your ac.

[Kylo_Ren] Why?

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] why do you think?

a_dry_sense_of_humor killed Kylo_Ren.

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] strip, babe. Eight to go.

Kylo removes his other glove knowing the response Humor gave last time. His helmet restrained his growing grin knowing full well the crinkle was hers. The fans and damn well lose their minds, calling out the next games and Humor is unrelenting, he’s lost three more times before getting too nervous. Pants, belt and drawers, gone. No one can see under his bust, but the fact that they were picked up and dropped for show makes her die a little. 

a_dry_sense_of_humor killed Kylo_Ren.

Off comes his tunic, his fans go crazy. Rey’s heart fucking flies out of her chest, dropping her head down, backwards, loudly crumpling the back of her paper bag. She died. She had to have died. She looks at the ceiling a beat having to reach up through the bag to wipe her face. ‘Am I drooling?’ She giggled wiping it and removing it.

[a_dry_sense_of_humor] Goddamnit if that’s not retaliation for mixing numbers... 

Of course he’s chiseled out of stone. Wasn’t the character too? Apt, certainly. But what the hell? At the very sight of his pectoral span she sat dying to touch him. No mans made her feel like that. ‘Is this what he was referring to when he asked if she really wanted to share?’

Kylo laughed at her through his microphone, looking down at the time, he taunted her, “don’t you have school tomorrow?” Before Alt+F4ing out of the game and turning off his feed. ‘Serves her right,’ he thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter sorry/ not sorry.  
> Humor gives into Kylo. Rey has a LAN party, food, protects 527 from Rose. 
> 
> Weeks later is Rose’s show. Ben and Rey meet —finally!

The LAN party was finally here which meant marinating wings of all types, preparing the dough for the pizza rolls, and setting dough for cookies. Everything else was done the night before so she could focus on laying the fibers for the remainder of the morning. Friday’s class was around lunch time so she had time. Laying the fibers wasn’t the hard part, it was the painstakingly tedious task of setting the circuits. 

Kylo saw she was online and automatically grabbed a picture of one of the costumes and put it on the camera. Had she of looked, he was for the first time out of costume with his helmet, and a black T-shirt on, listening to her fasten each of the pieces onto the edge’s circuit. He begins talking to her throughout it. He takes in the fact that she switched her mic from to push to talk to just on. He listens for a bag, no crinkle. “Getting cocky are we?”

“Good morning Kylo.” She puts through the synthesizer. 

“Hm.” Is the only sound he can make before he thinks of what to say. “What will it take for you to take the synthesizer off and talk to me normally.” 

Humor giggles. “You first.” She knows he won’t, not in twitch at least. “Turn off twitch” She says. 

He does. 

Turning on push to talk, she holds the button down, pulling the pin that changes her voice, purring “good morning Kylo.” With a quick release of the button. His mic though, was not push to talk, a loud thud rings through the speaker. Pushing the button down again, “are you alright?” 

A swift tingle goes up his neck harboring just under his lower lip, “say my name again...” he lies back on the floor. Being one to never beg for anything in his life he’s found himself on the floor of his computer room begging this woman just to speak to him. 

Pressing the button again, “hmm, do you think you deserve it?” She asks.

His eyes fly back into his head, forgetting his wager with Hux, starting down into his waistband for some much needed relief. He contemplates calling her babe but doesn’t, his breathing significantly changes asking what she means by that.

She lets out a sigh with the mic open to him, “you released that Godly sculptured body ‘for the world to see’” she hates saying it but it’s true, it had been burned into her retinas, just as ever other woman watching. 

Ben’s eyes fly open trying to even out his breath for his reply, “just. Playing. Your. Game....sweetheart.” It’s all he can say before he groans through a couple more strokes. “I...need...your...uh...name...”

“For that, you’ll have to play.” Rey logs off. Smirking at herself. Mildly, flattered? She knows what he was doing. Rey lives with men after all. It’s not like they’re quiet. Hearing Kylo come undone, she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Yes, that hot mess of a man was enticing but listening to him, proved to be too much. There was just too much to do to be ruined by him today. 

——-

Rose decided on something different today which was sure to be a hit with everyone. Rose has such a twisted sense of humor which for this series of events was perfect. Rey conversed with her right before heading in to school. 

Class was a beast, rendering out items that still had to be created and helping classmates brainstorm —this class was indefinitely ‘networking 301’. Any book no one needed that day was read and returned between time between Rey’s and Jessika’s classes, before practice and then meeting up back at her place. 

“I have music for you,” says Jessika as she strides in, meeting Rey in her living room. “It’s older. But I think it’ll be the right about of beat to vocal to work with. Especially for the climb.” 

Jessika could dance to a child tapping out a beat with toy blocks, if she felt a music would work for this project, then Rey was just going to make it work. “Ok,” Rey nervously says in response. 

“I wrote out the steps if you don’t mind. We can practice before your roommates comeback in if you like.”

“Don’t want to be shaking your rear when Poe comes in? Yeah?”

Jessika spits her gum. Rey read her like a book, “rather surprise him Saturday.” She winks. 

She instructs Rey on how to stand, counting every step out. Playing the music through her phone on repeat. Jessika is in mid sentence, pushing her fingertips over Rey’s to teach her to remember to stay in line. “Don’t press forward, stay upright,” hearing Poe drop. 

Rey rolls her eyes, “Why don’t you tend to him and I’ll get food going?” Rey nods towards Poe.

Upon everyone’s arrival Rey grabs a couple separate bags for 527, getting Rose to spout, “have you met him yet?”

“Nah. He seems like—“

Rose gets up and bangs on his door, “you let her feed you and don’t come out? Rude!”

“Oi!” Rey chases her, scooting her back in their apartment, “he seems too private to come out,” guarding his door.

“You have to stop feeding him if he doesn’t come out.”

Rey rolls her eyes and shoos her back inside, leaving another note thanking him for finding her key and inviting him over, yet again. 

Poe since finding out Jessika would be there, decided that he wouldn’t broadcast this to his friends. They’ve gotten relatively close sitting at his computer, showing her how to play, first in two chairs, later handsy in one. 

Rey’s makeup was hilarious, Rose made her face into an oversized box, fixed a working crank on the side and added a jack in the box head that would pop out if anyone cranked it out. Rey started to believe Rose had a side project in mind, trying to scare Poe, which maybe tonight wasn’t a good idea? 

Like always, they enjoyed each other well into the night, removing Rey’s makeup, and heading to bed for the night — which not to her surprise as they were carrying on, meant they coupled up for the night. 

Being too late to function, Rey covered the camera once again and spoke to him before falling sleep, “Goodnight Kylo.” 

—— 

That voice! He heard it before, he knows it... where though? Ben found that he was gaining the nerve to go talk to 526 when she left food and stood up for his privacy, as if she actually truly knew him. Even being from LA he knew a false crowd when it was around. He didn’t know anything about who she lived with, was friends with, but one thing was for sure, she didn’t allow people taking things from him, or ignoring him because he wouldn’t show up. She was real. It made him feel that much better for retrieving her key that night. 

Opening the door, eyeing the goodies, he figures a note can do this justice for tonight. He’d rather her be alone so he could meet her on a more personal level but it seemed she was never alone. A note would have to do. Grabbing a sticky, He thanks her for food and let’s her know tonight is a busy one but offers another time to get together. Part of him is so embarrassed that he’s handling it like this but tonight is not happening. Grabbing his keys, he lunges out, stuffing the note without a knock under the door before going home and enjoying his food. 

Humor’s makeup is messed up but hindering. He’s killed Humor over and over tonight but she doesn’t get angry like he does, which is actually frustrating him. ‘How could someone fail all night and not be bothered by it? Maybe because it’s me ‘owning her?’ “Are we playing tonight?”

“Not tonight, I have people over. Tomorrow for sure.” He’s disappointed in this but really has no say—‘bed,’ he thinks, “goodnight Humor.”

——-

It’s been a couple weeks of humor ‘sightings’ late at night but no real game play. Her project was the most important thing to her and he couldn’t help but be jealous of it. 

After having his lunch quite late one day, Ben decides on taking a stroll down a few blocks to clear his head. Work. Last night. He shakes his head. A slam of a door against the back of an undistinguished building breaking him from his thoughts. 

His eyes flick up from the spot he cast out his thoughts to-her. His breath catches in his throat causing him to cough a moment. 

Captivated by her form, as she huffs out of the building. Her chestnut brown hair is weaved back into a laced filigree mantle before flowing delicately down her shoulders. The Indian summer’s late heat warms the breeze as it flows through it, softly flicking back just slightly. He watches her delicate profile gleaming in the lowering sun, her eyelashes drawn down as she pulls at an item on her finger, unhinging it from something he can’t quite see at his distance, and pulling it off carefully. 

Curious, he watches on, leaning on a railing separating their spaces, crossing his ankle over the other. With deft fingers, she pulls a small pouch from her shirt, he can only assume it’s from her bra. He focuses on the small grey pocket as she thumbs it open. 

Lifting her sight from her tools to spy whose gaze she feels, she finds herself fumbling a tad, before rolling her shoulders to refocus. He’s tall and steady. Standing casually. A fixed gaze, similar to a daydream, cast in her direction. A warming sensation builds in her chest as she realizes his eyes are unfaltering, that is until their eyes meet his. She watches as his frame jerks suddenly being caught, a faint blush spreads across his fair skin. Similarly, a gasp leaves her lips, pulling in her lip, biting it softly before baring a widening smile of appreciation, laced with a small chuckle. Watching on as he runs his hand through his long, black mane, his eyes crinkle accepting a similar responsive smile too.

After a beat she remembers why she’s out there, pulling tiny screwdriver out, opening a tiny panel, assessing her problem. Ben watches on as she delicately removes, he assumes to be tiny screws. Another breeze picks up threatening her work space when she realizes the man has changed his position to leaning casually in her direction.

Rey’s never been one to notice a man’s interest in her, but this one seems obvious and timid all at once. Given his size, she assumes it would be more natural to turn and run, but he seems gentle enough, so she closes her tool case and walks up to the railing, freezing him in place. Keeping her eyes low, she asks him, “Do you think you could help me?”

He stands motionless, as if he could disappear if he didn’t make any sudden movements. Though his brain protests the thought of speaking, his body does involuntarily, “sure.” He gurgles. Rey doesn’t seem to find it distasteful as a response and he’s thankful. Nervously looking her over as she hands him her pocket to hold. 

“These are very important.” She says. “Please hold on to them as I take this apart,” pulling open the panel again. He says nothing, holding open his hand carefully guarding her items. Once the panel is open, it bares a tiny system of thin strips of wire soldered onto a chip, surrounding a processor all of about the size of a nickel. “I have five more,” She says realizing his questions before he’s ready to ask. “They’re signals to the fiber optic dress I have on. This shorted. I’m looking for loose soldering work. If it’s not this then I’ve single handedly fucked up my friend’s chances of landing this gig.” 

He looks at her with some amusement, trying to gauge where he’s heard her tone before. 

Rey pulls a tiny magnifying glass from the pocket, grazing his palm with her fingertips. The tingle she feels surges through him too, eliciting a quiet inhale. “Three... four...” a heavy sigh, “how did this even happen?” Her voice waivers, looking back to his palm, “Do you have a light?”

He blinks at her a moment, “I, uh. I don’t smoke,” almost worried about her impending response.

She chuckles, “you don’t have to smoke to carry one.” Smacking her lips and looking away from him, whispering, “A light. A light. A light. A light,” surveying the scene around them, spying a socket on his side of the railing. “Of course....why’d it have to be a dress today?” She mutters. Not thinking to ask, she places all of her tiny pieces in his hand, measuring the height of the bar to her torso, chanting, “I can do this.” Before stalking in the other direction. Toeing out of her shoes and gathering the flowing black ankle length skirt, high, he blinks at the sight of her. She’s wrapped it neatly, swooped to the side, all tucked within the elastic of her spanks, revealing her sculpted, sun kissed legs. ‘I must look crazy.’ She thinks. 

Ben stifles a moan, watching her hop up and down as if she’s getting ready to run. And then she does, vaulting herself with grace, in this elaborate outfit, over a three and a half feet barrier between the eatery and the remainder of building’s backlots and alleyways. Using a one handed stabilizer, holding fabric with the other to her hip so as not to damage the costume, that was the last thing she needed. 

“Ok,” she waves him over to the outdoor socket, meeting up with her she grabs her pocket knife, flicking it open and grabbing a candle from a table, excusing herself from onlooking guests. “Sorry, this is important. I’ll return it in a moment.” Trying a curtsy, remembering she’s tucked, “oh, oh right.” Rey backs up with the candle in hand.

Ben’s blush has spread once again over the bridge of his nose, well over his cheeks, watching her innocence, mingle sweetly, in a gracefully awkward way. Pulling the blade into her mouth, coating it just enough to produce a spark jamming it into their outlet. White and blue lights kiss candle wick, sparking just enough of a fire to produce a constant burn. Removing her tools, with a smirk, “Perfect.”

“How- what?” Genuinely curious about this young woman. 

“I’m an engineer at DeVry. Graduate program.” She shrugs soldering the bits back down to the board. Carefully replacing the panel and screws one, by one, purposely touching his hand at each retrieval, “that should do it.” Pulling her pocket of tools from his hand, stuffing it back down into her cup, “Do you think you could check the back?” as her skirt still hiked. “ it’s supposed to change colors as I move or to touch.”

Ben swallows hard, feeling like he may be on some hidden camera show. This sort of thing does not happen to Ben Solo. Nervously, he asks, “what do you need me to do?”

“Put pressure on the fabric back there and tell me what it does.” She turns away from him.

Pinching the bridge of his nose while his brow furrows, telling himself not to be surprised if she’s going to turn and slap him when he does, but then...he reaches out and tries. He’s gentle and can barely recognize himself when he coasts his hands down the fabric, touching this beautiful stranger. That, she’s letting him touch her. Her body leans into his fingertips promoting his self doubt, he’s seeing things, he must be. 

“What do you see?” She asks. 

Trying to break his hypnosis, he croaks, “colors.”

“Perfect,” she breathes, and he wonders if it’s because he helped her or if she’s reveling in the electricity raging between them. 

“REY!?” A man’s voice rings out making her jump. 

“I’m here!” She calls back, “shit, shit, shit, shit.”

“Rose is looking for you—ten minutes for make up! You’re really not giving her enough time.”

“Ok! I’m coming!” Rey assesses the wall looking to climb on a table when he feels her acquaintance encircle her waist, picking her up and setting her down on the other side of the barrier. She gasps in response, turning to him, allowing the burning in her chest speak for her, leaning a kiss into his cheek. “If you’re not busy- I get out in about an hour.” She pulls from him checking as his dark roasted brown eyes dilate. 

“I’ll wait,” he manages, looking into her hazel orbs realizing her hope. “I’ll be here.” Watching as the corner of her lips curl up into an impressive, gleaming smile. 

“Ok,” she turns and meets the young man glowering at her, pulling on her flats, fixing her skirt, double checking over her shoulder before being ushered back in. 

For the first moment in the thirty minutes they spent with each other, Ben finally sucks in the first clean breath he can, wondering what that was, followed by whether or not she would be back. Never in his life had he been so struck by pure beauty such as her’s, daydreaming about the accounts of the time they just spent together. Reveling on how it felt to touch her, remembering the surge that coursed through him at every turn. He was sure she was worth his time. He would wait all day if it meant a chance at seeing her again. 

Trying to remember her outfit, she’d been wearing a layered kinetic operated fiber optic dress, still trying to understand how it worked. The fabric dipped organically from her shoulders to a v at the base of her back, layered with fluttering, overlapping organic pieces which looked unnecessary. Positioned as longer pieces layered over the black skirt. He remembers being lightheaded every time she’s face him, trying his hardest not to look down her dress, keeping his eyes level. If he had to guess the texture of the dress was also in the front as well. However strange the dress looked, he was interested in finding out what the black was actually for. 

Drowned in his thoughts, he wonders idly if she kissed everyone for their help. If it was just for him. Or if she’d do it again. Would he be able to sate his interest in her if it ended tonight. He waved the thought from his mind. ‘She wouldn’t have looked back if it didn’t mean anything to her, right?’

Nervously, he remembered 526 and Humor. Now there’s a third showing interest. If this girl ever came back with him and made something of this, how would she be about his food fairy from  
apartment 526? Or his little online entertainment with Humor? Surely that would have to end.

An hour usually passed faster for him but this, the minutes within time waiting for her return felt like years past, aging him and his fears like weathered stone. But then she pushes off waving at people through the door she disappeared in. Ben drinks in the sight of her, between parted lips. Rey emerged from the building in a pale pink tee, dark washed blue jeans, and grey sneakers with white laces. A black sweatshirt tied around her waist, and what looked like a silver motorcycle helmet. She smiles brightly in his direction, offering a sweet little wave. 

“You stayed,” She smiles at him. “Thank you for before...” Rey realizes she doesn’t know his name, prompting him to introduce himself. 

“I’m Ben, and you’re welcome.” Surprised he can make a sound he asks, “what was all of that?”

“I’ve been working with my friend, on her portfolio and that,” her voice much lower and giddier than before, “was a showcase. There were recruits in there for monster movie prospects.” She covers her mouth with a finger, hushing him to secrecy.

Ben can’t help but grin at her. Not at the news but her overtly cute demeanor. Watching her gush about how much she appreciated him not walking off makes him warm inside too. “So an engineer and DeVry?”

“Graduate program, before you think you’re robbing the cradle.” She laughs. 

Huffing a chuckle but noticeably relieved, he wants to ask how old she is but knows it’s not right—she’s a lady after all. She answers his looming question abruptly, “I’m twenty four, if you should feel you need to know.”

Cringing at her possible rejection, “thirty three.” 

“No you aren’t.” He looks at her, about to correct her, “You have a baby face. Clearly twenty nine.”

“I’m pretty sure..” he has no idea why he’s grinning like a fool at her. 

“You’re still twenty nine? That’s what I thought. See? I knew you were pulling my leg!”

The more they talk the more his member starts pouring double meaning wordplay through his responses, repossessing everything she says in a provocative limelight. The lightheartedness of her giggle would bring him back from the dark side, reminding him to stay with her, not wanting to miss anything she says.

“Are you hungry?” She pulls him back from his thoughts, “Ray’s Pizza on 7th Ave is pretty good, if you want to grab a bite with me.” 

“So long as you aren’t biased based on the name.” He jokes with her.

“Ray’s has an ‘a’ and I spell my name with an ‘e’ - not the same name,” she sticks her tongue out at him. Just the sight of her flares the need of his tongue stroking hers. Rey notices the way he’s looking at her, pressing her shoulder into him, “come on.” Deciding to ride over, she hands him her helmet, striding up next to her bike, pulling her hair up high on her head. Her silver Ninja ZZ-R1200 showed age but still purred like a dream. 

Ben had reservations about motorcycles knowing all too well the consequences of road rage, motorcycle accidents were of the deadliest besides those smart cars, this happened to make him cringe the most. “We can always walk if you’re worried.” She stops him, “I’ve been riding a long time, you’re safe with me.” Ben weighs his options. This is New York City, the congestion tonight suggests walking is faster, so maybe a ride is ok. She said he’d be safe, he shrugs on her helmet, “how do I hold on?”

“That’s up to you. There’s a bar at the back you can hold on to or you can hold me.” He sees her smile in the mirror as he sits down behind her circling his hands around her center. He fits over her like a glove, his legs jutting out comfortably around hers holding her in place like a gem in a setting. His face shield in place thankfully is mirrored, hiding his glorified expression, savoring every moment like this, and then she begins to move. Kicking up the stand, and looking back into the sun before pulling out into traffic. She’s soft with him, an easy merge into the sea of taxis staying in lane, correct with traffic, ten blocks up from where they were, crowding a parking space before kicking down her stand. “Not that bad right?” He shakes his head, reluctantly releasing her before standing. 

Ben removes the helmet, smoothing out his hair before realizing she’s staring, “What?”

“Just enjoying the view.” Her honesty has him wondering if there’s something truly beautiful behind him and turns. She shakes her head laughing. “Come on, Ben,” nodding to Ray’s, they join the line. Rey orders a chicken and broccoli slice and a Pepsi to stay, and Ben follows suit but orders two pepperoni slices instead. Safe, though he can’t help but wonder if what she has is any good. “Did you want to try it?” 

“Oh um, no it’s ok.” He clears his throat. He’d been fixated on her, simply not noticing how long he’d been staring.

Rey folds hers taking a bite, “you don’t know what you’re missing,” she teases. 

“Alright, alright,” usually this behavior would tick him off, but it’s Rey, somehow meeting this intriguing young woman is turning him into that jovial young man he once was. He pinches her slice down by her mouth, pulling it from hers to his. Staring at each other, he bites down over hers, knowing he loves it that much more because it was hers. Her mouth was there, so his should be. His eyes blown wide finding hers had been too. Her eyes searching his, feeling the space charge between them, when Rose blows up her phone with a few videos from their session and that she got the gig! Her brow furrows disconnecting their chemistry, pulling her phone from her back pocket. “Rose you’re on speaker phone, don’t say anything specific, that could, you know, alter your gig.”

“What? Right! Ok! I got it! Oh my God I can’t even believe it.”

“Congratulations! I knew you’d get it- you’re the most talented artist I know. You deserve this.”

“Thanks!” The giddiness is just brimming from her voice, “I have a few more meetings after this so I’m going home after, but we should go for drinks tomorrow night!”

“Somewhere local though, I’m not into having to call a cab. You never know you know?” 

“Yeah I remember. We can figure it out tomorrow though, I have call Finn before I leave for this!”

‘Finn?’ Ben thinks. ‘Could it be a popular name? Or FNBOT?’ The thoughts he’s processing are coming at a quickened speed after being dumbfounded by their wonderful desire from before. 

“I just sent you the videos- don’t post that shit—“

“I wouldn’t know how.” Rey interrupts, “text me when you get home- you know how I worry.” Rey’s half teasing, smirking up at Ben.

“Will do—- Mom...” she chirps out a giggle, “Okay bye!”

Rey thumbs through Rose’s messages, “Rose does monster makeup, this afternoon I was a wraith - our team was able to do that crazy projection on the floor which made it ok like it was splintering our from under us. I can’t believe how far we’ve come in all of this.” Rose only took a thirty second video, prompting him to see the next where they were explaining the kinetic energy in the dress itself. Rey or Rose would touch the dress, which pleases him that no other man, though Rey wasn’t officially his, touched her. The fiber optics burned brightly in predetermined colors for the presentation, glowing in bright blues and greens. The third, cued up the remix someone adjusted for this, Rey’s eyes go wide and then fall closed, filling her face with color and the dropping all at once. She knows what she did to start that fire.

Darkness fills the room, a fog machine pumps the stage full, her dress floats and jerks with every roll of her hips, focusing on her right first, the jerk subtle but enough to elicit the first wave of cool colors thorough the fibers. Cool blues burn through to white as she allows for her left to join in, evening the climb of colors. Her movements steady building the scaling yellows and oranges climbing her body. Smoke swirling higher, blown upward prompting her to switch off as if she’d been blown out, before the room howled applause in the darkness from which it started. 

Ben’s lips parted drinking in the sight, then watched her in her embarrassment, for what? “I only know one dance and thats literally the bastardized version of the salsa. My school mate has been teaching me other skills—she’s a dance major, you see, cross core training and all...it’s not quite as easy as it looks.” She cringes. “Well, I suppose it can’t get any worse,” snorting afterwards. 

“What do you mean by that?” Ben looks her over. He didn’t see a flaw in anything. Why in the world was she ashamed of that?

Rey waves him in closer, “Well you see,” she whispers, somehow having the nerve, thank you Kylo_Ren, to say it, “I’m actually sitting across from a really attractive man, and I actually care what he thinks. And he’s just seen me botch up something as intimate as a dance entirely, and I’m pretty sure he’s about to go running for the hills. Shh, our secret. Don’t tell him.” 

He smirks, raising his own eyebrows. Swallowing hard, he stays low, carefully drawing his fingers over the base of her neck, holding her just within reach. “I think he knows,” his voice hums a promise he’s dying to keep, hovering his lips achingly close to hers.

“You told him?” Her lips part, “you’re terrible at secrets,” she touches her lips to his setting the space between them on fire. 

Their lips carefully press into each other’s, testing the other’s wants, before fully connecting. Just as they figure out their rhythm, grinding their table and chairs down and away from them, the fill each other’s needs in a desperate cycle. Their public display cut short by a knock on the table from a mother of two starring children. Ben has the humility to nod, which he himself can’t remember when he’d last used that trait, “Come home with me— er? Coffee?” he tries again.

“I’m about an hour out of the city,” Rey shrugs. 

“Me too. Fair Lawn.” He provides. 

“Small world.” Revealing she lives there too. “I’ll follow you then?” Taking a few more bites of her now cold pizza, “where’d you park- or do you take the train? Or bus?” 

He shakes his head, “my car’s parked back by work.” 

“Hmm, since you’ll have the helmet you’ll have to tell me another way for basic turns.” She sips her soda as he takes another bite of his pizza. “It’ll be darker so pointing won’t work—maybe just grab my leg—“ Ben chokes, “for right or left. Are you ok?” 

Grinning out an embarrassed cough., he wheezes, “Yep. Should we get going then?” His voice so much smaller than the smoldering heat it was before. 

Rey grins at him, “Ready?” Clearing the table for the next group. Ben offers her her phone back and she blushes, switching the camera in to them, taking a picture smiling brightly with him. “Keeper.” She pushes he phone back into her pocket as they walk out together. 

The city lights are fighting for purchase as the sun begins to set streaking her bike and helmet in neons and natural light. “I never want to forget this.” She pulls her phone for another picture, before settling for some delightful grabs upon her thighs for directions, he does his best not to be thoroughly stroking or grabbing her thighs, ‘on a bike.’ He repeats to himself, ‘not on my couch, bed...ah!’

Retrieving his car, he lays claiming kisses upon her igniting a passion he’d never of dreamed of before. Rey happily leaned into him, giving as much as he’d give, moaning softly before he pulled away panting. “Follow me,” he whispered darkly, setting out to lead her back to his place. 

She stays close with him until a few blocks before the Lincoln Tunnel when she realizes she doesn’t see his Audi—, it was an Audi... wasn’t it? Then she realizes she doesn’t have his number. Panicked she looks at her phone before a red light turns. Maybe he put it in there. Nothing labeled Ben, the green light has been glowing for moments before she realizes the blaring horns are for her. She takes off down the tunnel, staying in line, hating the fumes, looking for him around busses, as she passed. No use. Though, the driver behind her is livid. He hates cyclists, and what’s worse is he’s the one that was behind her in the city. The car is of no importance to Rey until she notices on route three that he’s still following her. Zipping through traffic the car zooms to reach her purposely leaching forward into her back tire throwing her off of her bike. Thankfully over to the gravel crusted shoulder instead of into traffic. 

Against better judgement Rey tried getting up removing her helmet looking to call for an ambulance. The faces she couldn’t see out of pure fear and cause of adrenaline, a man pulls his switch blade, then her hair, swiftly swiping at her face when she heard another car slam into the back of theirs. Sirens in the background has her slumping back down by her helmet as if it was going to do anything for her. 

——-

Ben notices he hasn’t heard her bike for a while wondering if she got stuck in the congestion, so he pulls over. Waiting. He waits for over an hour before wondering if she got far ahead of him. He remembers she said she was from Fair Lawn, so he hurried up getting home, finally realizing, he has no way to contact her. 

Furious with himself he screams beating on his steering wheel. Enraging steadily, he stews in his memories. Raking his fingers through his hair, his mind spirals out of control. ‘Where is she?’ He panics first worried she was hurt. Remembering she was a good rider- ‘she couldn’t be.’ Weighing possibilities that she just went home instead of telling him. Wondering if she really wanted him. If this was just some ruse. ‘But it felt so real,’ he tries to steel himself, before stalking inside. 

Making it back to his door, there’s no treat or note. This adds to his pain. Not sure why, but wonders if this place has spit him out entirely. Closing his eyes, he’s flaring his nostrils before releasing a shout that could cave abandoned buildings, before throwing his hand through a wall.

—-

Rey spends her night in the emergency room in Clifton Hospital. Aside from her gash leaving eleven inner stitches, and twenty six surface stitches, she faired well. Nurses treat her road rash on her arms with gauze and wrapped them diligently down her arm’s lengths. The sweatshirt she wore was entirely ripped up, not protecting her in the least. Her jeans did better but not by much. She still endured some road rash there, but had more bruising than anything else. 

“You’re extremely lucky,” the nurse said warmly to Rey who was trying to gauge where she was mentally. 

Rey, while in physical pain, endured the mental pain of most likely hurting Ben too. Realizing she has nothing solid except for a couple pictures and her memories, there’s nothing. She can’t tell him, she whines at this. 

“You have a concussion, and they want to keep you over night just to make sure your vision isn’t debilitated. Judging by your helmet, it was a pretty nasty accident.”

Rey just cries. The bruising in her body protests this too making her whine and lightly sob too before her eyelids become heavy stones, pulling her back into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been about a week since hearing from Rey. Ben gets in trouble at work. A_dry_sense_of_humor logs on... with a great surprise to Kylo. 
> 
> 526 meets 527.

Ben’s week has been a disaster. Between Armitage taunting him about losing, Ben had legitimately screamed in everyone’s faces, including the owner of the firm, Andrew Snoke. That had him leaving for the day going back on a probation period. 

Perfect.

“I hate this place.” He grumbled on his way back to his apartment. He stopped and stared at Rey’s door. His anger palpable, his feelings betraying him into defeat, sadness, fear... wanting so badly to just knock and only see her. 526 was Rey it had to be. His nerves shook through his hands, sighing he stalked back into his place, quietly closing the door.

——-

a_dry_sense_of_humor,’ is now logged on after a solid five days. The camera prompts her with a green light next to it, sure to let her know that she’s now live. Noticing, Kylo_Ren’s on, most likely waiting to stir the pot. 

“What?” She quietly rasps. 

‘Is that her? Rey? My Rey?’ He blinks behind his mask, ‘Rey? The one in the costume that afternoon. She’s the one I’ve been battling with this whole time?’ Remembering their kisses, claims, involvement on her bike- all of the sweet things she said to him, and then the bitterness of her skipping out on him. Taking in Humor’s boldness in a simple makeup application. “Pretty realistic.” 

“Realistic is right?” Rey whispers the question, popping her next set of pain pills within the rotation. 

“Wh-what is that for?” Ben truly hopes the makeup isn’t real, though it looks as if she’d recently been to the emergency room. The gash is pronounced, a but thin, three inch incision, tightly stitched over her cheekbone. Her golden skin now pale, bled with color splotches of green, blue and shades of purple. Heaviest color pools around her right eye banding out over her nose and ear. It looks as though she broke her nose because of its location, but her profile suggest differently. She was fine that night. They had been together the whole afternoon. How could this have happened to her? 

“What is what?” Keeping her voice quiet trying to tame the wild emotional vice of sorrow building in her chest.

“The medicine?”

“Pain pills-hospital grade Motrin. I have a concussion, and road rash all down my arm, and horrendous bruising” she motions down her legs. “Nothing is broken though. So there’s that,” she tries especially hard to chuckle though her appearance makes her look like a beaten woman.

Kylo’s image stands motionless. She continues, “I’d been out,” the left corner of her mouth turns up, “helping my makeup artist for a show. I needed to fix my dress and I met someone, just by chance you know,” she sniffles. “He was so handsome,” her eyes search the room, “sweet, funny,” she snorts, “had a dry sense of humor, right up my alley, truly.” 

Her eyes brimmed with tears that rolled from her lashes and fell without touching her cheeks like diamonds falling to her lap. “I’d gone back in to finish and get changed, not expecting him to wait, but he did. I was so thankful for it. I-I never. I never really go out. I’m so busy with school I never really date or whatever.” 

Kylo’s microphone projects him clearing his throat. 

“Sorry- you probably don’t care about all that.”

Gruffly, “no, continue.” He wants to know what happened. Her accounts of that day. Why all of this —-

“We had a lovely time. He’d been such a gentleman, was even sweet enough to let me take a picture with him.” Another tear falls.

“How long has it been since-?”

“About a week.”

“Have you called him?” Trying to sound like a third party. As if he were looking out for his friend. 

She regards him with a glare, using her hand to sweep the look of her as if she was trying to explain with an obvious sincerity. “On my way home, I was hit from behind sending me flying over the handle bars. Caught in someone else’s road rage. They said I was lucky I didn’t break anything.” Rey leans back into her chair letting her head drop into the head rest behind her. 

“Does...does this guy know?”

“I’m really tired Kylo. Did you figure out my number?” Rey tries to lift her hear back, whining in pain while she yawns. New tears prick her eyes. “Call me or something. I have to lay down.”

“No. Not yet.” His voice is lower than usual repeating himself, needing to know why she didn’t call. “Does he know?”

Rey sighs, “no, and he never will.”

“Why?” He almost sounds angry.

“In all I have, I never though to ask for his last name or his number.” Rey tries to stand and drops out of exhaustion off of her chair, right to the floor. 

“Rey?” Ben stands pressing his hands down firmly into his desk as if he could see her past the angle of her camera. Panicking he tries multiple numerical patterns looking for her. He face times with every number hoping to get her. Twenty minutes pass and his desperation is palpable, stroking out yet another number, and another answer, finally reaching her. She’s where she’d left him. The camera first picks up the underbelly of her desk, then the cushion of her chair and then her face close up until the screen temporarily went black. 

“Yes.. that’s exactly where that goes.” Rey says dryly after dropping the phone on her face. “Good job left hand. You’re fired.”

Ben chuckles still masked as Kylo_Ren.

Pulling her phone back up away from her face so her eyes could adjust, “Kylo?”

“Are you ok?” He sounds worried. 

Weakly, “just tired. The floor caught my fall.” She watches him shake his head.

“You’ve been down their this whole time?” Rey just looks at him. “Where are you?”

“Under my desk. I though that was obvious.” She lays her head back down to the floor instead of straining her neck upward to talk. “Floor’s cold. Nice on my face.”

Kylo’s mask lets out a heavy sigh and he looks to the side but then back to her as if he’s battling something. “Where do you live?” He finally asks.

“I’m not telling you where I live Kylo. That sounds like you’re going to come knock me off like some old thriller.”

“Really? After all we’ve....Would you tell Ben?” He snaps. Clearly he forgot about his persona seeing her. He’d forgotten he was dressed up, immersed in listing to her assessment of the day out with him.

“What?” She frowns, “I never told you his name. How do you know it?”

“Would you tell him?” His voice is lower than the previous question, borderline menacing as if she wanted someone besides himself, even though they were one and the same. 

“Yes.” She says plainly, offering nothing else. 

“Where are you?” He tried again. 

“Kylo you aren’t Ben. Stop it.” She sounds defeated. Her consciousness fleeting now battling with being in and out of sleep again. Rey mumbles her address giving him the apartment number, spare key’s location. 

Talking in her sleep a blessing and a curse really, her roommates know the necessities about her she would usually never share, like how she didn’t appreciate that Poe would leave his locks in the shower, shave and leave stubble everywhere. Or how Finn would complain the apartment was a mess but would load garbage on the counter instead of walking the four steps to the garbage to throw it out there. Or how she lost a bet and had to do their laundry for a week, how she didn’t appreciate them finding the dirtiest things to do that week, badgering them about it being a full time job trying to keep grown men clean and inline. If she went to bed angry they would get hollered at through the wall. Between her and Poe sleep walking, Finn was surprised he ever got sleep. Since she started having outbursts, life commingling had been so much easier. As if they realized the stress they were giving her would tone down the food quality. The more they helped out the less she’d sleep talk, and more giving she had become, focusing on dinners and deserts that weren’t from a bag or box. 

“Rey-“ She faintly hears him, his voice, no longer metallic, softer but deep. 

He’s cut off by the sound and validation of the visual her phone caught, FlyBoy. “Rey? Rey honey, wake up.”

‘Honey?’ Ben questions this pet name immediately infuriated by it. FlyBoy can take care of her but not Kylo_Ren. He listens in, though he fights the urge to want nothing else to do with her. 

“Finn!?” FlyBoy yells, pushing her chair away from her. “Help!” His voice thunders is a threatened roar.

“What!!” Finn yells from the hall making Ben jump in his apartment. 

“I need the paperwork from the hospital.  
What does it say about her injuries?” 

Finn’s footsteps slam as he runs in to the apartment, “what happened?” He searches for the paperwork. 

“I found her on the floor under her desk. It looks like she fainted. She’s pale.” He brushes his hand over her face carefully. 

“Check her pulse.” Calls Finn. “Artery in her neck, Poe.”

‘FlyBoy is Poe. Who is Finn?’ Ben takes notes. 

“Rey... Rey?” Finn shoves Poe away from  
Her giving him the papers. “Nothing’s broken. Just concussion and stitches.” He carefully checks over her cut. Touching it softly to make sure there aren’t any tears. Nearly covering her with his body to listen for breathing, having to hover for some time before rising. A long breath leaves Finn’s nostrils before telling Poe she’s breathing but shallowly. “Help me get her to bed?”

Ben hangs up. She lives with other men and this is a deal breaker for him. Who knows what’s gone on there. Would he be able to believe her if nothing did? Didn’t she say she never dated?

Poe gently slides a hand under her arms and the other hooking under her legs, hoisting her into her bedroom. The selfish part of him is enjoying taking care of her in a way that she never allowed him to, despite being with Jessika. Finn pulled her covers and he had the privilege of holding her close to him before setting her down on her bed when she stirs. Her eyes still wet from her emotional conversation with Kylo_Ren, “What’s going on?” She frowns. 

Poe hugs her tighter, happy she’s conscious, explaining how they found her, “you scared us.” He croaked. 

“I’m just tired. I shouldn’t have gotten up today, that’s all.” She pushes the hair out of his eyes, “You’re a good friend Poe. Thanks for looking out.”

He continues to comfort her dealing with the sting of the word ‘friend’. “Notes say you should be better in a couple days. Can you just let us take care of you?”

Rey rolls her eyes, “fine,” she says as sincerely as she can. “May I have my phone? It’s under my desk. I think.” In a strange turn of events, she can’t help but want to talk to Kylo. 

“Sure. Sure, hang on.” Poe briefly leaves her side returning with her phone, seeing the picture of her and a guy she seems to be happy with on the locked screen. “Who’s this?” He asks her as he strides back in to her room. 

“Ben.” She’s reminded about her day once more, depressed about how stupid she was. 

“Ben who?”

Rey rolls her eyes having to explain the whole story again which frustrates the hell out of Poe who’s been harboring his feelings for her over the last few years. They’d done enough together, albeit nothing all that romantic, but intimate things like teaching her how to dance, before Jessika, shared his love of computers with her, enjoyed the last few months playing video games and getting revenge on Kylo_Ren. He finds that even though she really has nothing but a picture and a handful of memories, he’s still jealous of this man she couldn’t find even if she tried. Thrusting his fists into his pockets, he reminds Rey he’s cooking tonight “-meaning we’re ordering Qdoba around five. If you want anything.”

“Thanks Poe, just get me something I don’t have to chew. Money’s in the jar by the stove.” Rey pauses as she realizes he’s staring at her. “Thanks for before, but I’m alright. Just tired and a bit crestfallen.” Watching Poe nod with his whole body, wincing a little when she turns to her side to face him. 

“Just, um. Just call me if you need anything.” He offers softly before leaving her room. 

Rey pulls her phone up to her, tucking her pillow snuggly in the crook of her neck between her head and shoulder at their picture. Huffing a sigh, she looks for Kylo’s number sending him a text.

[-REY-] Kylo?

She waits an hour before trying again this time thanking him for being concerned and calling. Hours pass yet again and finally she implies he’s ignoring her or has her blocked, calling him childish for it before turning off her phone all together. The past few days truly bothered her, pulling on her weighted blanket and clinging to her pillow for a reassuring comfort, drifting to sleep. 

There Rey could be free to explore this relationship she’d never get to have realistically. Her mind strikes a match to her memories telling her stories of her heightened senses. How gorgeous he looked when their eyes caught each other’s. How weightless she felt in his presence. How riding her bike will never be quite the same... how beautiful his smile was... his kiss. 

——-

Ben has since had a piss fit finding out that she lived with those two idiots. Men. ‘What woman lives with men and isn’t fucking them? None.’ He answers his own question. He’s since thrown the monitor that watches them. His rage scalding his body and suddenly going cold realizing she’s apartment 526, the one that’s always sharing baked goods and sticky notes with him. His tantrum yields long enough for him to leave the gaming room for a shower. 

He listens for an ambulance, cops, something. But nothing comes. He figures she’s woken up, accepting care from them, heating him once again. He remembers she offered up her address being the same as his, aside from his apartment number. Surely she wouldn’t do that for just anyone. Certainly not if she wore monster make up to not be a noticeable woman.

The heat of the shower helps him relax. Each drop piercing through another layer of his anxiety of this mess. She’d been the source of his recent anger, and then his release... but now what was she? He remembers how amazing she was to be with, funny- of course she was funny, loving the way she’d pull him places, excitable about most things. The dance, a rumble stalks through his body remembers how she felt in his hands...then of course the way she tasted. His eyes close allowing the water pulling his long hair over his tortured face. “What now?...”

Finishing his shower, turning the water off and grabbing a towel, he realizes his phone lit up with messages from Rey. 

[-REY-] Kylo? 

[-REY-] thanks for checking up on me even though I gave it to you indirectly.

[-REY-] look if you don’t want to talk just tell me instead of blocking me like a thirteen year old punk. 

He can feel pain in those words remembering how she’d been in so much distress just hours ago. Frowning at himself he tries her back with no success. A few messages pass and still nothing. Checking the time and figuring the early morning isn’t a good time to storm out of his apartment towards hers, so he waits. 

And waits.

And waits.

It’s since been a handful of days and the blur of them has strung together enough to make him loose his mind almost completely when he sees her one evening, leaving something new over his handle with a note. She’s in her dark wash jeans from the day they met, some sort of thick golden yellow cord-knitted turtleneck, and thick leather jacket he hasn’t seen before. She has shoes... he doesn’t have a care in the world about what they are or really how she’s dressed when their eyes lock. 

His lips part in the shock that she’s there before him uttering his name. As if he didn’t dare think they would ever cross paths even knowing that they lived in the same building. “Rey.”

“What are you doing here?” Her voice cracks as softly as the prickling fragility of the fall leaves skating across the cemented landing. 

He’s slow to respond to her, hanging in the devastated plane that her wounds are real, furthermore noticing the damage to the helmet she fists under her now bracing arms. “I, uhm...” trying to clear his throat, “I live here.”

“What?” Now inaudible. Tears beginning to brim, a sight he wishes he wasn’t the cause of. 

“I’m,” he points and she reluctantly looks as if he may vanish when she turns, “I’m 527” realizing he’s the man she’s been trying to soothe all this time. Turning quickly back, swishing her hair from her face, he watches as a tear is blinked out of her lashes as it did in her apartment. 

“Nice to finally see you, 527.” She grimaces a choked chuckle. “Do they help?” Pointing back at his treat.

He swallows a nod. “They’re the best I’ve ever had.” This isn’t a lie, he had nothing to compare them to. His mom never baked, or cooked. They were always on the move. A home cooked meal wasn’t something he had much of. “What’s it today?” Noticing the container is different, rectangular Tupperware in a slightly larger bag. 

She touches her stitches, drawing her finger over it twice before speaking. “Apple pie, and a block of frozen whipped cream. Something soft —I still can’t chew without pain.” As if this is something they’ve spoken about. He closes the distance between them, upset for her, searching her eyes before lowering his lips softly to hers. Plucking her essence in each touch and release. His gentleness speaks volumes to her as if he’s accepting an apology that she should never have to udder. 

She spouts a squeak trying to ignore her protesting skin surrounding the incision. Believing whole heartedly she’s dreaming she begs him to pinch her. “I’ve fainted again, haven’t I?

Smiling into her, he bites down on her lower lip as a form of a pinch, soothing it over with his tongue just as soon as he’d done it, reluctantly letting go. Her gasp confirmed it. “No, not dreaming.” 

Suddenly, she drops her helmet, justifiably searching for purchase, desperate to let go of the anxiety left burning her, failing to reach out after their impromptu date. 

As they slow, he asks, “Were you going out?” He asks noticing her helmet on the ground when he’d placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to let them roam over her frame as it once did. 

She nods, releasing his lips from hers softly. “I need to replace my visor.” She shows him the damage. There’s only jagged shards, scraped and rough on the left while the majority of the right is missing. 

Ben clears his throat again, “should you be driving?” Before she can answer that, as he’s sure she must have, “Let me take you?” His offer altering multiple levels of his questions. His answer, now laced between his fingers with her own. 

“Please.” She whispers, “but before you disappear... I want your number.”

“You have it.” He watches her face turn.

Rey shakes her head, “No I don’t. I’d of called and none of this would have happened,” waving her hand over her appearance. 

“Take out your phone then...” his voice stays low, eyes drawn down to her hands as she takes it out, revealing the picture she took of them on her bike. He inhales sharply, washing away the terrible thoughts he had, loving these moments being so close to her. He steadies her, holding her at the small of her back into him as he gives her his number. Each additional digit given doesn’t waiver from the one she saved from Kylo. The tenth digit now within her phone, she looks up at the contact realizing, “Kylo?”

His eyes remain drawn on hers, waiting for the full response to blossom from her. Ben watches as the connections of the past month and a half had washed over her and the excitement it had ensued. Certainly relieved she isn’t jerking away from him, it catches him off guard when she runs her fingers though his hair, restarting the fire they had just before.

Between breaths, “come in side?” She asks.

“Helmet?” He teases.

“—can wait.” She presses. “I can’t.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey get down to it.  
> Poe realizes Rey isn’t home and goes crazy. Ben and Poe have their first confrontation.
> 
> Additions made: a glimpse into the past, how Finn and Poe met Rey. Why she appreciates Finn’s time more than Poe’s. 
> 
> Poe’s background. His maturity coming around. 
> 
> And relations between Ben and Rey get heated through the night.   
>  

Ben enjoys the sweetness of her breath mixed with his, pulling him closer to the edge of her landing, before asking, “roommates home?” He hears what sounds like a muffled ‘yes’, sliding his palms around her rear, lifting her into his arms, moving back to his instead. This show of power made her swoon, being carried like she was some delicate flower tucked in his hold, felt like a scene in some fairytale. He’d snaked his arm below her, keeping his hold on her, while pulling his keys to unlock and enter. He gathers her treat and note, reading it before pushing inside. 

[Have a better night, at least one of us can be happy. Apt 526]

He says nothing about it. The weight of her words and all that had happened was already hitting him like a truck. There were no words to add, only new moments to make. Rey’s weight shifted in the crook of his arm, leaning in closer, pressing herself firmly against him, enveloping him in a hug, laying her arms over his shoulders expanse. He’d reveled in the way her nails felt against his hair follicles as she carefully gathered it within her fingers, pulling back on it had she been petting an animal. One grasp, lightly after the next, in a hypnotic rate, leaning her cheek next to his, “I never thought I could feel so alone, than in the days I’d lost you.”

‘Her honesty,’ it tingles through him, warming and cooling him all at once. Leaning his cheek back into hers, “you’re not alone,” crumbling the walls he’d erected to save himself through this. Nudging at her jaw allowing access to her neck. He’s soft in his exploration making their bodies ache for their cells to collide with generous helpings of each other.

Tears prick in the corners of her eyes hearing him purr the mixture of his admission and commitment to her, “neither are you.” Again the truth. She’s been there for him even before, the food was proof. She’s protected him from her friends, and even the evils he’d dealt with throughout the day with her treats. She never had to do any of it... it was just out of the goodness of who she was. 

He groans a plea, “please stay with me tonight.” Placing her down on the kitchen’s island.

“That may scare my roommates, seeing as why I headed out to begin with,” she purrs, “but I’ll stay long into the night.” Assuring him she’s right across the hall, she swallows accepting more pressure from him, burrowing kisses into her cable knit turtleneck. Her skin’s warm, flushing to his touch, nearly scalding his lips as he takes all he can from the space allowed. 

Reluctantly releasing him, she removes her jacket, then to his surprise her sweater revealing her beige tank top. Caught in their moment she forgets about her wraps. 

Ben’s eyes widen at the sight, he can’t keep the pain from his breath, “Rey,” he shakes his head. His brow lifted in concern, “how bad is it?”

“I’m healing,” she nods at them. 

Figuring it would be too much for her, he slows. He’d rather her healed and mobile than in any pain whether or not the blame belonged to him. He traces his fingers over them, “I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“You can’t.” She says with finality, as if she knows something he doesn’t. 

“How do you know?” Worry sets in within his tone. 

“You’d of done it already.” Words are complicated, she searches his eyes as they stretch down the folds of her bandages. She knows not to call a man gentle, there are important words they need to hear to help them move past their doubt. “You’ve been good to me this whole time. You won’t hurt me. You’re strong enough not to.” 

‘This,’ he thinks. He feels a warming through his chest, the sensation of need flows through him. Ben can’t help himself, flicking off her shoes, pulling her off of the counter, and with him on to his couch. He loves the way she leans into him for closeness, his warmth kissing her body through the cool air in his apartment. Sweetly, he pulls the fleece throw over her shoulders, feeling whole with her here. His. 

“Rey?”

She hums in complete comfort, his hands roaming lightly over her shoulders, down over her rear. ‘How am I even here—with her?’ Compiling their relationship from being neighbors, jacking with each other online—that dreaded first day... all the terrible things they said to each other. Their nightly game... all of it. She didn’t have to get involved, at all... ‘I could have still been lonely, angry, inconsolable...’

She lifts from his chest, “Ben?” she leans kisses of her own into him, pulling his long sleeve burgundy shirt off of him. He sinks back down at the pressure of her guidance into the couch. 

“I need to see...” pulling her down into him with a slight rise and fall to his rhythm. “I need to know...” drowning in the sound of her pleasure, then blinking as if he’d resurfaced, “I need to know you’re alright.” 

Rey’s eyes, glazed by lust, lay lazily into his gaze. She’s heard what she needed to. This big, handsome man needed to make sure she was ok, a follow up to care and concern moments ago. She was ready and wanting, but gave him what he asked for. Releasing the clips from her inner biceps, they uncoiled from her like streamers, leaving pressed indentations and light scabs in their wake. 

His mind had to accept these too, just like her stitches, and her bruising. “Oh...” his face turns out of concern. Gingerly he skates his fingers over them, trying not to relive that night. 

“I’m alright,” the ridges of his fingertips softly brush down her arms. “It’s more a mental thing now, until the weather dips, it makes me feel better to have reinforcement... if it happens again.” She sighs, “I’ve never had to think like that.”

“How bad are your legs?” His concern still caught in his brow. 

“Better than my face.” She draws her hand through his hair. 

“Please.” He’s upset. “I promise it’s not some ploy to get you undressed.” In some way she thinks he’s blaming himself, so she obliges. Slinking off of him and standing she shimmies them off. If he wasn’t so concerned with her pain, he’d of peeled them off himself.

Her legs are no longer discolored by dark purples she explains, only pale greens and light yellows which is a relief. Sitting up to meet her, he traces these too, planting featherlike kisses, as if he’d been with her for years, “please,” he swallows, “let me take care of you. Let me drive you in... pick you up... be there.”

Rey’s eyes slide close, the burning she feels through his requests promising to keep her warm and loved, a solid place of her own within his protective heart is endearing. She nods, “I’d like that, Ben.” He looks up at her from holding her in place and pushing begging kisses into her skin not expecting her to say yes. His hair jerkily falls back out of his eyes before Rey’s fingers reclaim it within a quick sweep, guiding her back down to him.

Their movements together feel choreographed, as if their bodies knew how to beg and please each other. Their sighs are the tinder of their lasting pleasures. How she wished she could properly plant them on him, the only true place she still felt pain was her cheek. Opening and closing to chew was unfortunate but doable, not relishing in consuming Ben as she had, indefinitely an issue. “Please,” Rey begs Ben, drunk on feeling special to this lovely man, “please,” she whines again straining release him from his drawers. “Ben.” 

His labored breathing, stiffens slightly to help her. He wants to beg her to stay and never leave. He knows she can’t. He knows he’ll have to fold, introduce himself to her roommates and friends. He’ll have to do it right and date her instead of beg her to stay every night for forever. He’s just as willing to be this for her, the way that she wants this from him. Removing her undergarments, bare to each other, he whispers, “bed,” before leading her there. 

Leaning her down into it she’s sure she’s a grain of sand in a large desert in comparison of her to the ridiculous size of his bed. Ben looks into Rey’s focused bright eyes, asking as blush creeps across his face. 

Hovering above her, ignoring the sights of the accident, unwaveringly he admits, “you’re as beautiful as the day I met you.” Her nudeness present but not the focus, her want to be there accepting him with his flaws, filled him in such a way he had no words for.

Ben eyes would close briefly, doing his best to study all of these moments with her. Nipping at her fingertips as they swept over his biceps. A grin swept her face remembering him strip as Kylo_Ren, how powerfully the sight of his bare chest effected her. Rey tried to pulled him down to her but he wouldn’t budge. Using her core her back hovered inches from his mattress, ‘thank you Jessika!’ she thinks as she draws her wanting, parted lips over his chest. Locking her legs around his waist, ankle over ankle, she pulls him down onto her. 

Groaning, he’s begging to touch her everywhere, to leave no part of her wanting. He allows a hand to slide under her, pulling her up onto him, Dreaming of her will never be the same. She leans into him keening her hips into his, dying for his friction, she pulls her nails down his back eliciting a new pocket of slick, baring it right in the ridge of his cock. Her folds envelop him, spreading it down his length as she grinds into him. He’s sure he’s gone blind and breathless all at once. 

He shakily reaches for a foil packet from his nightstand, unable to wait any longer, he’s sure he’ll die if he doesn’t bury himself inside her. Rey covers it under her hand, “no need,” She huffs, “I’m covered.” Though she fights the want to tell him she’s never been with a man despite having the contraceptive, but feels it may be inappropriate as he settles between her thighs. ‘He’d suffer his arousal for sure,’ and she’s dying to feel him, it’s clear. He slowly works into her before possessing her all at once, Rey shudders at her fullness, urging him to find their rhythm as one, before falling becoming undone all at once, her orgasm the most powerful she’d ever had knocks her shakily still cooing through each involuntary muscle spasm, back into her endorphin triggered dreams. Ben’s release finally crashing into her, his jerky swivels and thrust into her pulling at finalizing her remaining orgasmic pulse. 

Wrapped within their sated limbs, Ben whispered, “stay,” a final time and passes out with her for the night. 

——

Poe startled awake from sleeping at his computer, gets up to see Rey’s laptop still in the living room. Odd. Her motorcycle helmet is usually on the arm of the couch or in her room. Not on the couch... he gets up to knock on her door, trying the handle...it’s open. “Rey?” 

No answer. 

‘She can hate me later,’ he pushes her door in and looks over her bed. Not there. 

He tries her phone: 

[-POE-] Rey? It’s 12:30am. Where are you?

[-POE-] pick up your phone. I called you 6 times.

[-POE-] PICK UP!!

“Finn?” Poe runs into Finn’s room. Trying hard to wake him, Finn’s dealt with his sleepwalking before. He drowns Poe’s face with one big swat, before rolling over. 

“Poe, if you make me get up after a double shift, I will kick you out.”

“Rey’s not here.”

Finn’s eyes are still closed, slapping his mouth open and closed like he’s chewing over the thought or waking up. “Try Rose. Or Jess...”

Poe takes Finn’s phone trying Rose, explaining it’s Poe. 

[-ROSE-] not here. Sleeping. Text me if you can’t find her. Phone on my face.

He shakes his head. ‘Girls are weird.’

He checks with Jessika.

[-JESSIKA-] She’s not here. I haven’t seen her since last week. 

[-JESSIKA-] Check that guy she’s been feeding.

[-POE-] What guy she’s been feeding? 

Poe had delete that sentence five times being in caps lock— not wanting to ‘shout’ at his girlfriend for not being able to find his roommate. 

[-JESSIKA-] the neighbor. 

Poe cannot believe she’s been feeding another person. Quite honestly, so that the boys were taken care of, they never questioned what Rey did. After her accident, they started checking up on her. Losing that guy really did her in. Rey was never one to be calling a rebound man, or any man for that matter. She was no desperate bird...what he didn’t want to accept was the possibility that she found the guy in her picture. 

“Shit,” Poe flares. This shouldn’t boil his blood. Rey is strong. But need he remind anyone about where he’s from - the fight blooms in his chest. He pulls on his jeans, socks and shoes, leaving his dirty shirt, grimy from work, making him looking as tough as he felt. 

Poe stalks off towards 527, pounding hard on the door, making a scene. “OPEN UP!! REY?! I’LL BUST DOWN THIS DOOR IF I HAVE TO!!”

Leave it to Poe to ruin her good night, Rey rolls her eyes. Ben’s sitting up already listening to that idiot, steadying Rey by her hips, pressing her still into his mattress. The weight of his hand doesn’t feel crushing as much as it feels protective. He’s keeping her safe.

“Poe’s a fighter. From Camden... once ruffled,” she nods at the door, “he won’t stop—this, won’t stop.”

“He does this and you live with him?” 

“You’re one to talk,” she teases pursing her lips. Straining to sit up, she kisses him, “let me handle this.”

Did she not understand what he meant by ‘let me take care of you?’ “Stay here,” he got up, noticing a darker color washed over him aside from their fluids, his eyes widen with what his possibilities were with this news. If it weren’t for Poe, he’d ask, but FlyBoy was unrelenting.

Pulling on new boxers and shorts from his dresser and putting them on, his skin oddly rejecting the cotton sensation rubbing roughly over her dried spend. He smiled into his lap, furthering the amount of layers he had on. Rey watched him round the bed and out the knowing their flair ups would not go unnoticed. She was sure someone already pounded for the police. 

Ben had the audacity to leave their strewn clothing all about his apartment before opening the door to her crazed roommate. It was a statement. He was proud to be hers, and didn’t mind making their activities known. 

Once open, Poe stopped shouting for a moment, taking back by the towering door of a man their neighbor was. Ben said not a word, though felt like pulling Poe’s head from his shoulders for dragging him away from Rey. His eyes glowering down at Poe’s, purposely shirtless, to show his unyielding power, if he had to use it. 

“Where’s Rey?” His voice clearly trying to puncture through Ben as if it were a battering ram. 

Calmly for a hidden fear of losing Rey’s company tonight, “she’s with me, sleeping.” His voice eerily low; a warning.

Poe’s eyes crinkled in a disgusted smile, drawing from disbelief, pain of not being chosen, her constant explanation as to why and now he’s with the lunatic across the hall. He laughed a slight huff, turning slightly before coming in swinging with his right.

Ben catches Poe’s wild fist. His muscles rippling beneath him, ready to redistribute his action, when he feels Rey’s tiny hand at the small of his back. At first, angered she would put herself in danger, then that she couldn’t listen, or let him be the man in control. ‘She couldn’t possibly be traipsing around naked, or in my sheet-it’s too big,’ he thought. Poe watched as Ben’s brow adjusted to what he was feeling sneak up behind him, leaning little suckle marks into his lower back, where stress was known to pool. 

Ben, still grasping Poe’s fist, relaxed—his pupils blown wide as if she’d laid him again. She had only enough time to slip between his arm and his body before being in front of Poe, disabling his own composure at the sight of her in his shirt, reaching for Ben’s hand, allowing him to brace her against his body. 

Poe released his fist, dropping it back through his hair. “This guy? Really?”

“This is Ben.” He looks at her hardly. Not wanting to compute that they found each other. “We’d reunited in the hall when I left to replace my visor. Didn’t get far.”

“Looks like you got far enough.” Deviously using choice words hypothetically, slapping her in the face. 

“Who I choose to bed is my own choosing, Poe. It’s late and it’s best that we all get sleep.” Ben’s fingers splay over her stomach, opened and closed, possessively.

‘Who I choose...’ this rings in a finely tuned octave, one he will never let go of, as if angels sung it to him. It blisters through his skin, boiling his blood in a way he hadn’t experienced before. He’d only knew this surge in anger, he needed to explore it in their lust. 

‘If we’re done here...” Ben’s voice stirs Rey’s desires, reigniting her too. Her face falling in a whim from concern to need, beads of saliva prick the corners of her mouth with need. 

Swallowing hard, Rey offers a kind, “Good night Poe.” Before being guided back in by her man. 

Poe sees her look up at him, dwarfed in relevance to his size, with trust. Trust...

———-

“No clothes in my bed,” she purred at the thought of picking back up where they left off. His skin, his closeness, melting her back into his arms, where she should be. 

“I am never washing this shirt again,” he stuffs it under his pillow, “and those, I’m wearing to work tomorrow.” She giggles into him. He pauses, kissing her softly, letting his hand roam over her torso, “did I hurt you?” She questions him. “I saw blood on me,” he says carefully. 

Shaking her head, “I’m fine.” 

“Cycle?”

“First time.” She’s straight with him. 

“And you took me for all I was worth without a second thought?”

“I had no reason not to.” Teasing him, “should I have?”

He shakes his head, “no,” ready for her second round.

———

Poe slammed the door to their apartment in a seething envious rage, throwing pictures off the walls splintering glass everywhere, and ripping fraying pictures. One had a trinket stuffed behind the picture of the three of them, matted in the cardboard backing. In his furry, it had been flung, masked in the grey fibers for their forward facing couch. 

This trinket has been important to Rey, the worn element was so old it could fracture in the wind. Poe had offered it to be set in clear resin, preserved perfectly so that she’d have it forever. Though Poe was unaware of the placement, he was sure this time that he’d destroy what he needed to to regain her attention. Toddlers did this. Grown men should not but there was no going back now.

She took him, the lunatic across the hall. The one that would scare her as she passed, that would break glass and grunt as if he was beating someone nightly. This man would shout profanities at ungodly times of the night, but she chose him. Him. Over a tamer man. Emotionally in check, some of the time. Poe was sure he had it together more than the guy across the hall. 

Billowing and anger all his own he stalked around, jutting his chin out in a primordial way, similar to cavemen, but Rey kept the apartment neat and clean leaving nothing but his command center, and their tv to throw. Naturally he throws a fist, into a beam, with his regret, now needing an x-ray, would surely be out of work, unable to collect disabilities—-and then realized that also meant to video games. Poe, began to feel helpless, texting Jess that he found Rey:

[-JESSIKA-] Did you find her? 

[-POE-] Yeah. She’s with 527-Ben. 

[-JESSIKA-] oh good. 

[-POE-] I don’t like it. 

[-JESSIKA-] it’s not yours to like. 

Poe didn’t like that answer either. To Poe, his answer was the only answer. He could not understand why that man’s rage could be overlooked, but not his. They had history. Three years! This guy had a week of her heightened memories. Surely something else was going on. 

He would find out.

Poe was a man of connections. He knew people.

He would find out.

The weight of his tantrum wouldn’t set in until the morning, while having a throbbing hand he kept ice on it within the confines of his room leaving the shards of memories all over the textured floor. Hardwood had been covered by a space rug which was spread only under the section by the couches. It was Rey’s purchase, though masculine enough to be accepted by the men. She had picked short thickness that appeared to be weaved in a two toned slate grey and light popcorn, sandy color. It really did bring the room together but it’s not why she picked it. Rey loved to have bare feet, but the coolness of the fall and downright cold of the winter on the hardwood surface was just too cold.

Poe, in his tantrums, even after could never see what he’d done to those around him. His sexual tension with Rey remained his own. He had his flip outs every time she would turn him down but never quite figured out why it couldn’t be him. 

The night they met Poe had joined his wingman Finn at Stoch’s. He’d seen her the moment the walked in, hitting reds with single strokes. She was no ‘showman’ but he was. He wanted her swooned by him —- so many had given in just on his looks alone, so why wouldn’t she? Poe would turn heads as if he was in the club, but not hers. He had tried several passes for her attention, but she wouldn’t have it, Poe never said hello, and Rey had a thing about men who did that. All she needed was a reason for her to punch him, if he skimmed by her ass one more time, that would be it. He’d lose an eye to the point of the dart. 

Poe looked onto Finn for help. Not a usual thing for Poe, so when Finn came over he shoo’ed him away. “Hi,” Finn said, smiling brightly at Rey, who had just sunk another bullseye. 

Rey turned from her game and looked at Finn. Actually looked at him. Poe missed the common decency to even say, ‘hi’. “I’m Finn,” he introduced himself. 

“Are you up next?” 

“Um?” Finn is confused. 

“Are you up next? As in my next opponent?” Her eyes wide and waiting. It appeared she had the whole bar entranced with her skill. There were people studying her. Figuring if they could beat her they’d get something from her. If she won, she’d gain a wager amount. 

“Um, I mean I could try... but I was just coming to say hello.”

Poe studied Finn from across the bar scoffing at his inability to be forward. Little did he know, it was the right path. 

Rey smiled brightly at Finn being the first person to see her as one instead of a contest. That moment would break the streak and Rey found herself enjoying Finn’s company bar side. They talked for hours. Which Poe couldn’t understand why a man, uninterested in another woman would do. 

It wasn’t about attraction. It was about being civilized and recognizing she was just as important as they were. Finn grew up humbled in foster care with his friend Jaecen who was adopted into his forever home, a year before he was, leaving Finn to wonder who he needed to be, rather than who they were together. Being twelve and processing such a thing came at a big toll. So much self doubt consumed him, but by his twenties he’d come out stronger for it. Finn had objectives.he wanted to be somebody for others who needed... and what better occupation, he thought, ‘would be a nurse?’

Through the hours of talking, Poe would come around time and again to first get introduced and then to see if anyone needed anything. Some women would come around and he would gesture to them as if he was taken, making it unclear just how ‘taken’ he was. It was off putting to Rey watching him work the bar. The more Finn spoke to her, the more comfortable she became. 

Finn explained his plans for school, wanting to work within pediatrics for kids with unbeatable odds. “They have the right to a chance at life, even if it’s just a day more,” he said picking a shelled peanut out of the Chex mix in front of them. 

This settled Rey quite well, opening up about her past. Finn learns that Rey was also in foster care, “a nice older woman, Maz, took me in. She gave me back a foundation I never thought I’d possess.” Finn smiles at her until she reveals that Maz had passed during her second year of college. “She taught me well though. I can take care of myself, and chase my dreams because of her.”

“And because of who you are—don’t forget that.” He said confidently, sweetly, as if he was speaking to the child within her. 

Rey bows her head to her drink, and offers Finn a game of darts starting the roots of their friendship. 

Poe, though, she was reserved about. Each time he’d come around he had a comment. Something simple like nice shot, but then would tease his buddy. Finn would let it slide for the night but once they said their goodbyes, Finn offered her his number. Gratefully she said she would take it but would honestly tell him, “I don’t have a phone, but supposing I came around one, I’ll give you a call.”

That was enough for the night. Finn would see her again and every time they would reunite as old friends, until Finn asked if she’d be interested in renting a apartment with him. “Strictly platonic,” he puts his hands up. “I just need a place and have no one to ask.”

“What about your buddy there?” She teased. 

“Poe has a lot going on. He hasn’t really grown up.” He sticks up for his friend, “his father suffers from the PTSD of multiple missions to Afghanistan. I can’t imagine what actually happened to him and his unit but the man came back a shell of what he once was.” Rey listens, Finn shakes his head, “he took us to my first basketball game years ago and he was completely normal, but after the tours, it started eating at him. His Mother thought he was developing schizophrenia,” Finn shakes his head again. “Thing is, Poe grew up in Camden, I don’t know if you’ve been?”

Rey looks on at her friend assuring him she hasn’t. 

Finn sighs, “it’s no war zone, but it’s not the safest place to be, to bring your family up in... but Poe doesn’t come from money or anything, he comes from a large hard working family. One that’s seen enough grief —“

Rey starts to feel poorly for judging him the way she did at the bar when this all comes out. 

Finn continues, “He was young when his dad came back from the second tour and all of this started happening tenfold. He’s not like us, he needs guidance, to be taught how to act.”

“You’re very patient then, to know this about your friend.” She offers. Slightly changing the subject, “where were you looking for apartments?” 

“Fair Lawn, right off Route 208. They’re a little expensive but close to school right now. I figured if you accepted and we find out we work well together, we could look for something closer to both schools in the future if you’d like that too.”

She can’t help but smile at Finn. This guys was certainly the most levelheaded she’d met. “Alright,” she confirmed. Since then she’d been the one to offer the third room to Poe indirectly through Finn, continuing their platonic relationships over the course of three years. Poe grew a little, bit still needed help managing his stress, and flare ups. Rey found that food was the answer to a lot of his problems. So she would watch the Food Network on Poe’s tv on her down time from school to learn how to cook. 

Throughout the time together, Poe did not always understand the line drawn in the sand about Rey’s involvement. She was hellbent I’m not dating a roommate, specifically Poe. She couldn’t handle his stress, on top of everything else. Sex would not be happening unless she was the one to be able to find the absolute trust. Poe still had a lot of learning to do.

Tonight that child needed a good reprimanding. Throwing picture frames, and leaving glass around the apartment and throwing his hand through a wall, was no act of a true man. Poe laid back in his bed, ice in hand, covering his face in the crook of his elbow beginning to feel embarrassed about what he had done. He may not like the fact that Rey didn’t choose him, but he would have acted the same as Ben had the roles of been reversed. Rey at least deserved that. Poe never thought like this, the epiphany hits him hard, the weight of his tantrum began to turn within him. ‘If Rey comes back to this,’ he thinks, ‘would she even try to help me set this right?’ Definitively, he’s sure the answer would be no. He had fouled up so many times making her think it was something she could help him with...but not this time. This time, it was on him.

Lunging forward from his pillows, Poe slipped on his shoes on, slipping his phone out from his back pocket. 

[-POE-] You’re right.

[-JESSIKA-] sleep Poe. It’s late.

How he wishes he could have controlled himself. Sleep sounds amazing but right now, it’s time fix this problem. 

—-

The volume of their symphony of strangled climaxing cries far exceeds any tantrum Ben had ever thrown. Rey now blushing, was sure other floors, especially 427 could hear them, pant for begging plea, loving and promising her fullness within every last blissful of his thrusts. 

Ben, who was dying to know how the gaming even started, rolled with her onto his back so he’d be wrapped with her splayed over his chest. He’d pull his blanket over them, holding her in place over her backside. “When’d you start gaming?”

“End of August,” she hears him snort just above her knotted hair, “What?”

“End of August? No.” He scoffs.

“Yes?” She plays with the beads of sweat that had been pooled between his pectoral muscles.

“Okay-what made you start?”

“You.”

“No?” Ben could not imagine how he could have gotten her to game until she explained herself. “Oh...well I never would have guessed you to be a gamer.”

“Me neither.” She sighs now nipping at his jawline. The kisses she wants will have to wait but the ones she can give are as important to him as they are to her. “But, I’m glad I did or I’d never of known you so well, Kylo,” she teases. 

God Rey purring ‘Kylo’ instead of his name does things to him. Maybe playing the persona for as long as he has, has something to do with it. Maybe it’s just her, though he’s had her twice already he can’t foresee a time where he might ever feel like he could be done with her. Even the women in LA didn’t have that effect on him. Maybe it was there strange little bout of teasing. Her little truth or dare game of sorts. He’s positive the fear of not knowing right away if he was being tempted by a male or female contributed. “Who’s idea was it to get dolled up?” He asks. 

“Mine.”

He thinks on this, “were you the girl that grabbed for the keys?” He assures her that her actions have been messing with Poe. “From a guys prospective, when a beautiful woman pushes across our sight, the message pings in our cocks that we’re wanted.” He can’t believe he’s even bringing up Poe, and it’s killing him that he’s even explaining it while they’re naked in his bed.

Rey paws back to sit up on him, regarding him in a new way. It makes him unsteady. Worried she might run, he holds her thighs to his, his member sitting just higher, hovering somewhat hard over his abdomen. Ben is just about ready to question her when she lifts her eyebrows asking, “how should I talk to yours?” 

His eyes fly open wider, inhaling sharply as his cock clearly trembles, bouncing against him generously. Never in his life has anyone asked him that. Unsure of how to respond she asks him what he likes specifically and it happens again. Ben watches her press the point of her tongue to the point of her canine tooth, before flicking and dragging it over her lower lip. He grunts, “I think you know exactly how to talk to mine, babe,” he growls, with begging digits fisting her thighs for movement. 

“Do I?” She purrs, suckling her middle finger’s pad fingering softly down the thick, throbbing vein that stands tall from his shaft, careful not to touch the rest of him before pressing the same stripe into her swollen lips, singing out at the flick of her clit. Ben cannot clear the cloudiness from his eyesight, nearly completely blinded by a lust he’s never experienced. He cock impressively hard is already seeping with precome. It’s not for the want that has him surprised, but how much she wants and amazed he’s going to supply her with her third round. 

Ben curses and grabs Rey’s hair when she bends to lick him clean of it. Now a steady seep, she takes just his tip, afraid to take more, broadly licking at him, perspiring herself below him over his thigh she’d been grinding into. She’s going to kill him, ‘death by orgasm’ he thinks... the gamer side of him says, ‘there’s no re-spawn for this,’ jerking up at her, begging for her to ride him. But she wasn’t done. She wanted to know everything about him -everything he liked before giving him her core to pummel. Giving another flick before cupping his balls with her cold hands, he hissed yanking as a plead on her hair. Retaliating, she sucks at him hard pulling a cathartic scream claiming all of the awful things he wanted to do to her, safely pushing her jaw upward and off of him. One last graze of her teeth pushes him just too far, coming with the last bit of come he could muster. Spent. He was sure he was out now. “You. Know. Exactly. How. To. Talk. To. Mine...” he growls hoarding her to his chest before rolling her over and tugging her down to the end of the bed.

Rey can’t help but smile, feeling a little weakened by their activities. Whimpering when she presses out a yawn as their activities are pressing into dawn. “Hmm,” he spreads her thighs, “bored are we?”

“Of course not.” She yawns again, “I haven’t the stamina yet...” she can feel him chuckle below her. 

‘Yet.’ He holds on to that one. There’s a hefty promise there, one he’d knowingly die to keep.

Ben siphons a coo from her unfurling pleasure truffles he pricks at with a nip then licks over the heady streams with broad expanses of his tongue. He revels in the way she begs for him. It’s not just her body that calls but her mind and heart too. He was sure this passion was an act of more. More. He wanted to give her everything— not just take it. He was sure that if this woman could give without knowing him, he could while getting to know her. 

Ben found his mind growing, stroking out every bit of her consciousness. There would be possessiveness, but form both, he would know true passion from another being, equaling him out. He would be indebted to her and find every way to give back. His body was speaking in languages of unconditional love as he was trebling through possessing yet another one of her orgasms. Her final for the ‘night’.

He smirks looming over her spasming body, looking deeply within her eyes, “you are a delicacy, and I will long to devour these pretty little lips once more. I’ll never be through with you,” he promises her.

His embrace lulls her into a deep sleep where she breathes all of her truths as she would while awake, “you’ll always have a place in my heart.” she lightly noses into his arm. 

——

Poe spends the morning cleaning the apartment, running the vacuum gathering the pictures, measuring them for the sizes the were and grabbing his things before driving all the way to Riverdale to find frames in their twenty four hour Walmart. It’s well after three when he returns with them rehanging everything but the lost trinket that sunk into the couch. Though this isn’t something that registers yet, the sure fact he didn’t wait for Rey to fix his tantrum spoke volumes about his growth. He would be thirty seven this year after all and God only knows Jessika would throw him out if he possessed that type of behavior, had they gotten further along with their relationship. 

It was time to move past what he could t gain. His wants didn’t end with Rey, or her attention, they were needs that any adolescent male would harbor. Being trapped in this older man’s body, he needed to understand his real problems and looked up a shrink in the area. Clearly he couldn’t beat this himself and shouldn’t just turn and attack the next person. “We’re not in Camden,” he’d hear Rey sayin his memories the first year he’d been with them. “Things are different now.” 

‘Things are different now’....

——

In the morning Rey is slow to rise. He aches deliciously through the depths of her core, wishing that this is reality, she paws at Ben for a taste just at the crook of his neck. He’s real. This is real. Ben hums in appreciation, “good morning.”

This is the first he’s uttered those words to anyone in years. Unusually sore, even for him, he avoids his normal workout, enjoying a slow morning with her. Sunlight pours through the living room, spreading light through the crack under the door, a window facing the south east is in his room producing a little less of a heated morning glow, indirectly over the bed they shared. 

Ben starts by offering her a shower. His shower. The one he hates may become more bearable because she’d of been in it. As he guides her into it, the warmth and pressure is not the problem, it’s watching him struggle with his height. Rey turns off the water, they’re both nude and cold from where the warmth had promised a steady flow. He looks at her like she doesn’t understand how a shower works. Turning she leaves the bathroom for the hall closet turning off his water, and pulling a new head from it. Rey lived here long enough to know the tenants before him were wasteful but generous. She remembers the older woman loved all things designer. She was sure the ‘ugly’ brushed nickel rain water fixture was left in the closet. There had been a spare tool kit locked within the wall where the breakers were too. She pulled a knife from one of his drawers to open it. Ben watches on as her nude form walks around through his apartment like she owns it. A carnal smile approaches his lips, imagining just that, her, taking over his world—as if she hasn’t already. 

Rey collects the tools and shower head before nodding at Ben, “lets fix the problem, yeah?” She explains why she knows what was there and why she knew about the tools as she undoes the original head, standing on the walls of the tub. Sweetly, he holds her hips in place, so she doesn’t fall, he tells himself. She knows different, loving it anyways. Undoing the head and giving it to Ben, requesting the other, she situates the newer one to the pipe, giving him an additional five inches upward from the spout. “The only thing that’s going to change is your water pressure, because it has to push upward now before pouring out.” She points at the neck before disappearing, turning the water back on. 

‘Christ’ he thought. Being in architecture never really made him aware of simple changes that tenants would need to make. He always thought it was smarter to have one master unit so no one fucked up, but Rey made it look so simple. 

“Just so you know, the microwave and the oven can’t be on at the same time or you’ll blow a fuse.” She smiles, “it’s how I found the box in the first place.” Leaning cutely against the tile wall separating the shower from the vanity, “give it a try, and tell me what you think.”

It’s perfect.

Ben can stand without dropping his shoulders six inches from where they usually tower. The pressure is fine-not a slow drip, but it was just one more of the things she would do for him. How badly he wanted to leave claiming kisses on her lips, “when do these come out?” he scoops her into his arms. 

“End of the week.” She smiles, “I can’t wait. It feels like I have braces in my skin.” 

He kisses them before asking what she can do to get clean. This morning is only for cleaning. He’s sure his blood sugar is so low he could drop her and it’s certainly not something he wants to possess, so softly he works his shampoo into her hair cleansing her gently and then himself, he asks about her schedule. 

“Well, it’s Thursday, so I’ll be making up my midterms, a lot of little stuff to bring, and schematics. I’m fixing to have a long day... when do you have lunch?”

“I can take it at any time.”

She can’t help but smile offering, “well if you like, I can pick up sandwiches or something and meet over at Bryant Park.”

Ben nods loving this idea. Love. How many times so far has he noticed the purest change within him being her? There’s been so much to change. Usually, he fights it, but this — he wants to keep. If he fights this, it’ll only be to keep it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets ready for her day, first riding in with Ben. Learning more about each other.
> 
> Jess meets up with Rey getting the scoop.
> 
> Rey has a confrontation with Professor Phasma.
> 
> And meets up with Ben for lunch.

Reluctantly, Rey leaves Ben’s apartment for her change of clothes and items for her class. She’s barefoot and borrowing the same shirt he stuffed under his pillow. She’s certain she’d love if his musk could just follow her everywhere, but it was now much closer to fall and she wasn’t a teen, unable to get away with being a tomboy, She had to wear age appropriate clothes for her graduate classes, especially today, dealing with Professor Phasma. 

While the clear blue skies and bright sun could have spoken warming thoughts, the morning was surely crisp. Rey would test it by placing her palm, like a child, on her window. This suggested she’d need to layer. First a white blouse, a floral printed cardigan, two of her only bracelets that Rose had found in one of her makeup cases, a light wash pair of jeans, and silver flats. Her brown leather jacket would be last, followed by everything she needed to carry. 

Moving back towards Ben’s apartment Rey notices a flicker of light off of something in the couch. ‘Men,’ she thought as she went to go pull the wrapper out of the cushion, when she realized it was her trinket—-the one she put in the picture frame. She frowns at it returning to her room she puts it on a dish on her nightstand. Rey texts a picture of it, asking Poe if he knew why it was on the couch.

The item was an old piece of rice paper, torn from a book, said to be the last known evidence of Rey’s family. It was found tucked inside of a smoldering silver locket, harboring that and a tiny picture, found on the body of what was once her mother. The newspaper said they were hit by a drunk driver, flipping the car starting a small fire. Rey was just a baby. She’d been secured properly and the only rescued. When Maz, her eventual foster mother, found out she was the child from the accident, she stopped at nothing to find out all she could. That little piece of her name and the bubbled locket were the only pieces she could find. Rey remembers when Maz sat her down and explained what she had found and why she felt it was important to know who she was even though it felt like she was no one. “Your foundation, dear child, is not one made for you, but one you continue to make. One that will crack and need others to help rebuild it. I won’t always be here, but you will be able to build yourself from this, because you are who you are.” A tear falls from her face before steeling herself for the day. 

Though even in trying Ben knows something’s off when he sees her face. 

“Are you alright?” He asks kindly stopping himself from fixing up the rest of his buttons on his dress shirt. He pulls her in wondering what happened in the last five minutes he wasn’t with her, and swears if it was Poe, he had some choice ‘words’ for him.

Rey nods into him, “I just remembered my family, made me feel homesick, you know?” Trying to explain it lightly.

Ben’s eyes widen assuming the worst, that she doesn’t actually live here. That she’ll leave and what then? He feels his heart race under the pressing of her forehead to his chest, and her deft fingers working up his buttons. 

He’s gorgeous in his slate colored dress shirt, “it’s a nice color on you,” She smooths it out along his chest, trying not to relive her past memory. He looks that much taller in his charcoal suit. It may be the pressed crease in his pants, but she’s sure it’s the dark color’s he’s chosen, has him standing like a floating shield protecting her from her wayward thoughts. 

His mind still pregnant wondering what was bothering her, but also enjoying being complemented. ‘Maybe she’ll tell me later?’ From his experience with his own family he knew women didn’t like being pushed for anything. Unless it was a fight that you were after, pushing women was a no.

“Thank you,” his voice, much lower than usual, soothes her, changing his stance to pull him in for a kiss. 

It seems to lighten her enough to smile, “this is my home, I have literally nothing to go back to.” Which is not a lie. Her parents are gone, Maz passed, Finn and Poe have been around just a little less than Maz but not by much. Her home would be one she had to make. Her home was her, and she was openly inviting others and now Ben into it.

——-

Riding in with Ben was an experience. It wasn’t just his taste in the composed music from each of the ‘Star Wars’ movies but also how he would shuffle through them for certain parts of his ride. He claimed it made him calmer, though the tension in the traffic would suggest otherwise.

‘It must just be a man thing,’ she thinks when he breaks and accelerates quickly making her body sway every time. He notices her smile wondering if she’s amused with the way he drives, “big feet,” he offers as though it’s a reason as to why it’s like this. 

Patting down his insecurities, “Public transportation and my bike are the only things I have experience with,” wanting to omit the hand full of times Poe took her places in his car. She turns her head to face him swaying in another stop and start, “I’m sure you’re fine.” Winning a smile and a slight bow from him.

They converse about her classes, when she realizes she has almost nothing on him, aside from his rugged good looks, gaming habits, being neighbors, and recon last night in bed, she didn’t know much about anything else. Ben reveals he’s an architect, working specifically with buildings for renovation. “So what you just did for my shower, my job basically sees a need and fills it based on tenants needs overall.”

“So say the apartment didn’t have breakers in the closet, would that be something you’d see as an important change?”

“Yes, but that would be a hard sell because it would kick people out of their apartments for days to rewire. Mine works on filling a need, like predetermining a set height for the shower, well higher than the average person.”

She lets a soft giggle towards his expression. “Surely, not everything that’s average sized gives you trouble.”

“You used to,” cracking a glorious grin.

“You liked it. Tell me, when did you start figuring out I was a woman? 

Ben clears his throat thinking about the definitive moment, ‘Good Morning, Kylo’ he drops his hand from the wheel to seizing the crotch of his slacks to readjust himself. 

“It can’t of been that good.” She goads him.

“There were times before I thought you were a woman, but,” he tries hard to clear his throat, “when you said ‘Good Morning Kylo,’ I’m pretty sure I collapsed.”

“Because I wasn’t a dude?” He can’t help be mad at Armitage for betting she was a guy. 

He shyly admits, “yes but, I did not expect to be that stunned by you... your voice I mean.” Blush crept in. 

She shakes her head remembering the privacy she figured she’d give him. Breaking her from her thoughts he added, “when you said you liked me, and that I was funny. I was pretty sure you were a woman.” He hoped. God did he hope! Ben’s world revolved around other people fighting for validation. It was tiring. Unfulfilling. And then a_dry_sense_of_humor over took his life, seeking him out. For once he felt like the sun, being orbited around by a taunting prayer. “I used to hate seeing your name flood the screen. Used to try to research you—“

“Stalk?” He visually freezes and she laughs. “I was excited to see your eight characters too. Even when you were mad about my number.”

God her number. 

“I swear I thought I’d be calling someone in Washington state because of the area code.” Rey raspberries between her lips. “Then I got that bread company— and realized I didn’t know your name.” He watches her bubble over in laughter. “So sure enough I asked them if they knew someone with a_dry_sense_of_humor...”

Rey wipes the tears from her eyes, begging him to stop. Her cut brimming with warmth from the pulling stitches. 

“I literally got ‘does a cow moo?’ Before being hung up on.”

A silent, breathless laugh steadily flows from her, leaning her head back over the right shoulder of the seat. Her body heaves generously releasing such a laugh imagining him in his Kylo Ren get up, calling in the matter he did. Ben cannot get his mind out of the gutter seeing her like that, pressing circles into her inner thigh, pulling Rey back to him.

Explaining Armitage was a whole different topic. Rey took their bet in stride finding, what else? Humor in it. “Well, you’ll have to introduce us,” she offered him a peck, “not for the wager. For keeping your faith in something unforeseeable.”

He has exactly no interest in showing off Rey to Armitage. Ben would no sooner like to jump from a bridge than show off his love interest? Girlfriend? What could he call her? What did she want to be? ‘How do I ask that question?’

“Would you have still wanted this if I wasn’t someone you ‘knew’?”

“Without a doubt.” She hears him exhale. “It hurt me not to find you Ben. But knowing a bit about you is thrilling too. I’d seek you out if you remember correctly... my bag wasn’t because I felt artistic.” She rolls her eyes.

“So those designs were Rey originals?” He teases. 

Rey explains it was some of her best artistic work, aside from Furbies she would make from hair in the shower. Ben raises an eyebrow not remembering any hair fall from her but maybe a few strands. “Rose could make baby wigs out of Poe’s wasted locks.” She laughs. Ben tries to hide an exasperated look that they were now talking about Poe...again, when she says, “I’ve been they’re roommate for three years, Ben. They’re the only collection of people I’ve had for that long.” 

Insight surges through the remainder of the traffic to DeVry’s Manhattan campus entrance. For Ben, who came from a steady home, albeit, one that constantly moved, he had a mother and father, and a couple crazy uncles. But listening to Rey’s story, learning about Finn’s and Poe’s was an awakening to say the least.

He didn’t feel bad about running them down online. That he got a sure kick out of. Gaming was a stress reliever, hands down. Giving someone else the grief he had stored all day was some of the happiest moments of his day, before Rey. But it did gain him some insight about how to act around her friends when he wasn’t in character controlling their nights, which had him thinking, “Are we playing tonight?”

Rey blushes, as that’s meant some pretty different games as of last night, “always,” she replies leaning kisses into him before leaving his door.

Armitage, who walks regularly to work from his stop on 34th and 6th spots Ben’s car, eyeing him with a woman. “Hm.” Reassuring himself that with this new distraction, Humor’s bet would be off and he could rest easy. 

“Text me when you want lunch. I have a break from 11-1:30pm today,” she catches a glimpse of his pupils dilating with need.

“Ok.” Is all he can get out when their lips tag and release each other just a few more times. 

——

Jessika meets up with Rey before walking in to their MCC class, “Christ! What happened to you?!”

Rey explains on the way in gaining listeners on the way in, until Professor Phasma comes in making her repeat herself again. “I should have emailed you but I was just not well enough to. I have a note on my face if you’d like to read it.” Her sarcasm slaps the smug expression off of Phasma’s face for failing Rey’s midterm. Jess was kind enough to show her markings last week, which was followed by a bunch of questions of how she was doing and not to worry about helping Jess in particular since Rey’s reputation spoke louder than imaginable in terms of selflessness. She knew, somehow, something was wrong. 

The class stirred as Rey’s statement sunk in. When Phasma’s face softened slightly, Rey spoke up again, holding a garment bag and her equipment. “I have what I need to do it, if you’d like to join me at the theater.” 

“Ms. Kenobi, the time has past for your showing. You’ve already received a 0. You can show it at your fi—“

“I wonder what the Dean will have to say about this.” Rey snapped.

“I am the dean of this department.” She says snidely, as if Ms. Kenobi should have known this.

‘Which department is that?’ Rey mutters to herself. “Of course you are,” she raises her hands in frustration. Rey spits a line of curses, looking for the chancellor’s number.

“What was that?” Rey ignores her, their battle heating.

Rey finds the number and calls. To her benefit, she thinks, the secretary picks up. Rey introduces herself, putting her finger up to the hottest set of ice blue eyes. “Hi I have a dispute with my professor, who happens to be the dean of the department too,” Rey drops her hip, rolling her wrist as if she was present at the desk with his secretary, “over the ability to do my midterm project. I was in an accident and couldn’t get in contact. May I make an appointment to speak with Chancellor Windu?” She pauses facing Phasma, “Next available would be great.” They confirm for ten thirty even though class isn’t done until eleven. ‘Oh fucking well’ is what Rey has to say about it. 

Phasma tried to speak over her the entire phone call, repeating that she would get a zero from this class too if she left. 

“I don’t care,” Rey barked, “you don’t have the right to screw with people’s educations like this! I’m here on a grant! I don’t have parents who can shovel out money for me to be here— I don’t even have parents. I’m on my fucking own, taking care of my fucking self. And I’ll be damn sure no pretentious Professor is going to beat me down just because I was unable to come in!” There it was said. “If you would value your position on this be altered by you being there, I would suggest you get going.”

Jess and the room gape at her as if Rey had just started a fight with a UFC fighter, “class dismissed.”

Jessika offers to walk with her friend to the Chancellor’s office and catch up on Rey’s date. “You wouldn’t honestly believe it but he lives across the hall.”

Jess perks up popping a piece of her apple spice muffin into her mouth. “That’s convenient!” She laughs, “Do you have a picture?”

Rey supplies the one on her locked screen, and Jess gives a pinched lip ‘o’ of appreciation. “Well don’t know know how to pick ‘em?” Jess teased, her upbringing had always been boisterous, but she seemed even more so today. 

Rey explains the non explicit parts of their night when Jess comes out and says, “well I’m glad you got laid despite all that shit—“

Rey’s eyes go wide. She certainly did not bring that up, which leaves Poe. “What did Poe say?”

“He was there?” 

“He lost his damned mind, came over like a big brother, screaming and banging on the door.”

“Shut. Up. I’m going to kick his ass!”

“You don’t have —“

“No! That is YOUR TIME.” She sticks up her finger, tightly grasping the rest with her thumb. “Oh! I will make sure that shit never happens again, so help me—“

“Jess...”

“Rey! If you came in banging on my door, while I was fucking, you’d have made an enemy. My door would not be opened and you’d be free to just listen, because there ain’t no way I’m dismounting for some sorry ass outside my door.”

“Jess.” Rey laughs, clearing her throat, she tries again, “It’s over—it’s fine. Ben took care of it.”

Exasperated, “Fine but he’s still getting shit from me.” Jess was not one to be tussled with, she was tenacious, the one to bring the fight. She was good match for Poe. It may even him out. Jess nods, “looks like you stirred quite the crowd...”

Rey rolls her eyes pushing in with her shoulder, protecting her pieces. The huddle seems to part as a classmate recognizes it’s Rey allowing her better access. Sure enough classmates she’d worked with for their midterms were at the door waiting to see how they could support her. 

An older woman with silver hair welcomed her to her desk, taking in that she was here for an appointment, “Chancellor Windu will see you shortly. Please have a seat,” his secretary motions to a seat across from her. 

There’s a clambering behind the door as students are mishandled and hollered at by who else, Professor Phasma, trying to get through the crowed hall to defend her actions. Once inside she greets the secretary, then turns to see Rey and Jessika with her eyebrow raised. “Ms. Kenobi. Ms. Pava, I don’t see how this has anything to do with you.”

“We’re partners. I can call the whole group that worked with her if you like.” Jess offers cocking her head to the side. 

“That won’t be necessary.” Phasma rolls her eyes, towering over them instead of sitting with them. 

Rey looks down at her phone and notices a few messages from Poe from last night, Rose, Finn from this morning, a couple from random students that are also in her MCC class, and Ben. Opening Ben’s first, she notices he’s been basically talking to himself answering his own questions in a stack that made him nervous after every send. She messages him back answers all of his questions and comments starting with a wordy explanation as to what is going on right now. 

[-BEN-] That’s ridiculous. 

He answered immediately relieved she isn’t ignoring him. Ben honestly couldn’t stop thinking about her since she’d left his window this morning. His day seemed more bearable since she had been reunited with him. People didn’t piss him off as fast. Armitage didn’t come by and that was strange, but welcomed. And Kaydel seemed to not surprise him as much as she used to. In fact, he was sure she wore heals, and was hard on them. ‘Maybe that’s why she laughs every time I jump.’

[-BEN-] what time do you want to meet for lunch? 

[-REY-] Can I call you when I’m done here? If I get my way, I’ll have to preform. But I’d like to see you.

Ben hangs on that. 

[-REY-] I have to go. <3

And that too. ‘What does that mean to her?’ He looks up the campus, locating the floor the theater would be, calculating the time a walk there would be, figuring he’d be cutting it really close walking there and back, he’d only have ten minutes with her. Rationing the idea that he could take a half day and spend the rest of it with her then realizing she had a second class, he grunts openly about it, which basically called Armitage over. 

[-BEN-] Ok, babe.

“Have the boy’s phone number do we?” Armitage presses his thumb down on the pen’s erected clicker, just to make him uncomfortable. “Ah! And calling him ‘babe’ too. Quite impressive. You know, I never thought—“ 

“Do you have a thing for me? Armitage? Is that why you keep calling her a man? Or why you can’t leave it alone?” Rising to his feet, “why do you think I didn’t collect when I found out? I’m not that shallow. You’re paycheck was desirable until I met her.”

“Do you really think an Internet, ‘girl’ or ‘boy’ will stay interested in a nearly middle aged man, barely working up to his potential?” Ben looks away from him trying to maintain his composure. Had they been outside Ben would have nailed him in the face, but like it or not it was a well enough paying job. “Ah, I thought not. I bet this person, doesn’t even know what kind of a monster you really are. Your anger. I bet when the suggested ‘she’ finds out ‘she’ll run far and fast from you.”

“Armitage. Do not speak about her that way. Our bet is off. Find someone else to pester.”

“Don’t tell me your head over heals for, ‘Rey’ is it? ‘She’ even has a boys name.” Armitage teases. 

‘That’s it!’ His brain goes haywire. He will not have some red headed cockroach call his lady a boy, or make her less than she is, or make her sound like even her name is filth. Ben shoved him through the back wall of his cubicle, dismantling it from the frame, pushing the wall over the top of his desk filled with film figurines. 

Armitage falls into a puddle of himself, before standing, “you’ll pay for that.” He comes up swinging when Mrs. Holdo from HR comes down the isle. 

“I’m either reporting this or dumping your entire file Armitage.” She said as low as she could bringing him to a complete stop. If Armitage had one more citation he’d be fired. His citations were usually for sexual assault. Snoke himself had to deal with payouts because of his head designer pawing up the assistants.

His eyes go wide, mad that this landed on him and not Ben, “N-no. Just trash the file,” cursing at Ben for even starting with him, like he’s been called over. Holdo looked at the thick set of complaints when she got back to her desk, stood in front of the both of them and fed the shredder the stacks and the folder. 

“Do not waste any more of my time with your little dispute. Do I make myself clear? Children?”

“Yes Ma’am,” they both reply.

———-

“Chancellor Windu will see you now, Ms. Kenobi.” The secretary offers, pointing her through the office door. 

Professor Phasma strides past Rey and Jessika as if she owns the floor, deserving the nasty looks the both of them bore. 

“Excuse me, Professor Phasma? This meeting is for a student,” she’s in no interest to be misheard. 

“That’s alright, ma’am, Professor Phasma is the cause of this meeting. It’s only proper for her to explain her reasoning, so we can get this whole thing straightened out.” Rey offers a smile. 

“Well alright.” She nods before sitting back down at her chair. Phasma isn’t sure whether she should be intimidated by this or secured she won’t have to battle her way in. 

Chancellor Windu is a tall richly toned man, quite darker than Finn. He’s older and greets everyone with his warm eyes and unwavering smile. His teeth are so clean Rey idly wonders if they could reflect light. Clearing her throat she shakes his hand before sitting squarely just beyond his desk. Jessika sits to the right and Phasma, to the left. 

“I’d just like to start,” both Rey and Professor Phasma speak at the same time, looking at each other as if the other is telling them to stand down, ‘the adults are talking’. 

“Ladies? Ms. Kenobi, please.” Chancellor Windu suggests since she made the appointment, she’d be the one leading this. 

Rey begins by thanking him, and recounts her week, why she didn’t email Professor Phasma, even brought up proof of her poor health last week on her twitch feed, the very same stitches still present on her face today. Her bruising has lightened considerably to lighter blues and greens hidden under her foundation. “If you really need to I can contact the hospital and see if they can have a note drawn up for you,”  
She lowers her lashes remembering the rest, being sure she’d lost Ben. “Sorry I’m not misty for this” Rey wipes her eyes, “the road rage bore a bigger toll...”

Chancellor Windu looks over at Professor Phasma, “and what do you have to add to this?”

“I have strict rules for my classes...” she tries, really tries to sound authoritative, lifting her chin as she displays her dominance. The more Phasma speaks the further she digs her hole.

Chancellor Windu lifts his hand, “This,” he says, “this is what you came to my office with?” Eyeing Phasma, “the stitches are still in her face!” He roared. Looking to Rey, “when do they come out?”

“Saturday morning.”

“Ask you doctor for a note- we have to have it on file, it’s just protocol. But check with your doctor to make sure you can participate and how long, if more time is necessary for you to heal, before you can physically be cleared for the segment that required actions. We don’t need you reactivating a medical condition such as a concussion.” 

“Yes sir.” Rey nods thankfully. 

“Professor Phasma. If Ms. Kenobi cannot do the physical before the final, you will only grade her on the work completed.” He leans into his desk with his hands clasped. “Now if you please, I’m very late for my next meeting.”

Jess looks at Phasma who is just about losing her composure, when Rey turns to her, asking if they could start again. Of course she nods to Rey in front of Windu, but outside his office is another story. “Ms. Kenobi, for this audience this morning, you will be expected to make an appointment here for Chancellor Windu to also be present at your showing. Failure, will be your failure,” before she saunters into the elevator and holding the door closed button on the panel. 

“That woman is fucked up.” Jessika manages to say before Rey. 

——

Ben receives Rey’s call, leaving his desk with haste, practically running to Bryant Park. “Where’s the fire?” He hears a woman’s voice ask. Ben looks around not knowing who that was. 

“No fire. Just meeting my lunch date.” Ben answers the unknown voice. Kaydel pops up from nowhere somehow—he was sure her clacking gave her away. 

“She cute?” Kaydel asks bluntly.

Ben blushes, and a smile creeps over him.

“Oh boy... you fall hard or not at all, huh?” She teases speaking to this tower of a man. The entire floor knew of his evolution. All day he’s been better, besides Armitage, ‘that idiot can go suck an egg,’ she thinks. “Well good. She must be good for you if you’ve controlled yourself all day.” She winks before heading to the water cooler.

Ben shrugs her off. Kaydel was the crazy hippie of the office. She does yoga at her desk, sits on a pink ball instead of a chair, always trying to sell a green smoothie with rice, kale, coconut, baby pig droppings and twenty other things that don’t go together. He did hold on to that bit about Rey being good for him though. It’s the only logical thing she’s said to him that first, he cared about, and second actually let register. 

Rey picked up deli sandwiches on thick cut butter bread. Rey knew she was ok with anything but wasn’t sure for Ben so she decided on a pulled pork sandwich, and an Italian hero for the other. Rey found herself basically running to get there, scooting around everyone to see him. ‘When on Earth have I been like this? Never.’ Rey’s sure it’s been never. Her heart races while she stands still, promising it they’d find him. He first foot hits the low elevation stairs practically running up them, squeaking when she’s intercepted by someone. 

Looking up, its Ben. Rey lunges into him further. “I missed you,” she honestly spouts nuzzling into his chest. Ben feels himself slip as if he dreamed this. His mind swelled accepting her admission, “I missed you too, sweetheart.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second half of Ben and Rey’s day.  
> Dealing with stress and feeling like a kid again, thanks to Rey.

Their afternoon is slightly warmer than the morning, mid-sixties in the sun but noticeably cooler in the shade. The pair doesn’t seem to mind, sitting next to each other on the wall rather than the seats. Rey’s pulled a table towards them to store her bag and the lunch she’d picked up, offering either to him. 

Golden leaves fall steadily in the breeze and already fallen, dried out leaves make prickling sounds as the scrape across the slate. “I’ll have the one, you don’t want.” Ben offers.

“Well that’s very gentlemanly,” opening both, she offers halves of each, “but not exactly helpful,” Rey teases. 

His smug smile creeps across his face, “always with an answer, eh?”

“Takes a lot more than that to stump me.” Rey shoulders into him. 

Enjoying their lunch together, they’d made small talk about their mornings when Ben brings up that Rey’s cooking is far better than the sandwich. “You know, I cook every night. You should just come over.”

“Won’t that be weird?”

Rey looks at him oddly, “No? You’re across the hall. It would be weirder if I made dinner for my family, and then scooted across to make food for my boyfriend.” She giggles at his expression, “I may know how to cook but I’m no kitchen wench,” she takes the last bite of her pulled pork that had fallen from her sandwich. 

Ben looks on with amusement as she shuffled crumbs from her collecting a group of pigeons, hearing her say something like, “oh good, the clean up crew is here.” He laughs but is unsure of whether or not he should be at dinner tonight. He’d be going into Poe’s space and while he had no real issue with him aside from their argument last night, he still wasn’t sure if he was ready to control himself if the confrontation arose. Would he be ok to act out on behalf of Rey? 

“What time’s dinner?” He tries to ask casually. A breeze fluffs his hair back a bit. 

“Around six,” She offers up a smile watching his hair settle before picking up again, “we’ll be home in time.” Pulling his balled up garbage from his hand before tucking it away in the bag, and then overtaking his space. “I think Rose is back temporarily if you want to give Finn and Poe a delightful surprise later.”

“You don’t need all of that unless you want to.” He’d really rather she wasn’t in some form of a character.

“If Rose wants to do it, I’ll let her. It’s good for her business. But if she’s tired, I’ll resort to my bag or other measures—but I want them to see all of you.”

Dirtily, “don’t you want to keep all of me to yourself?”

“Ben.” She huffs. “It’s my family you’d be meeting, weirdo. Though you,” she looks him over, “best not be in question....” 

As he gathers a hold around her, “You’ll never have a reason for doubt, sweetheart.”

As their eyes meet, she admits how much she likes to be called by his little pet names, but loves it the best the way her name sounds from his lips, as if they were pearls that were created with his tongue. She’s sure spending time in the theater has taught her some things about worded script, as that was certainly not something she would have so put delicately. “If you can,” Rey looks up at him sweetly, “I’d like to go home.”

‘Home’. If he were collecting fireflies for all of the tiny hints she’s dropped to him about what their relationship meant to her, he’s sure he could light an average sized room. “Home?” He questions.

“With you,” she murmurs into his chest.

Rey was going to get him into so much trouble, he pulls his phone from his pocket, calling the front office, telling them he had to take a half day today. “Something came up,” he says squeezing out a normal tempo for his delivery. Rey sighs into him dragging his mind from the call when he’s reminded he has a conference call with Andrew Snoke, “no, no... I’ll figure it out. Yes, ok.” He tightens his grip on her, ending the call. “I can’t,” he finally tells Rey, “it’s only a couple more hours,” cupping her face. He’d never felt so important to a woman, absorbing the way she’s regarding him. 

Rey assured him that it was ok, “I do have class anyway.” They discuss where to meet before parting ways, “have a better afternoon,” she leans a kiss into him.

“You too, 527.” Gaining him a smile from her, 527 could be their shared home, he thinks. His mother used to call it, ‘planting the seed’. ‘Maybe she’ll even sleep there again tonight? Always? With me? Wouldn’t that be something?’

“Mr. Privacy... are you inviting me in?” She teases lifting an eyebrow. Neither speak. Their pause is flooded by city sounds when she finally says, “I thought you’d never ask. See you after class, love.”

——

Ben wasn’t sure if he took a cab or walked back to his building after that. ‘I probably walked?’ He says answering his questions of consciousness in the elevator. Kaydel popped up and should have spooked him but the trance he’d been planted into made him deaf to all sounds but Rey’s. He wasn’t even sure if he saw her until she walked off. His ears continued warming with Rey’s last word, filling him with something beyond what he’d ever known before.

“Infatuation,” Andrew Snoke proclaimed, “that’s what this is. Mr. Solo! If you can’t focus on this project, maybe we should have you demoted—get the girl in your place.”

Ben couldn’t see straight. Torn between her, ‘I’d like to go home,’ ‘love’ and Snoke ready to pull him from the project— he was sure he needed a cold shower. The surge of everything in the last hour was enough to awaken more of him he couldn’t of known he wanted. ‘Infatuation?’ Listening to Snoke roll the word from his tongue made him cringe, though he didn’t speak up. Snoke was a strange hermit of a man. A wealthy decrepit, bald hermit who spit at every word his enormous fish lips produce. This man rarely came out of his big glass box but was sure to bestow hell upon every being in his office. He would use Skype to pop in and out of cubicles all over his locations, expecting his employees to always be on their game. 

Ben raises his hand to stop Snoke’s outward flow, “I’m fine,” getting ready to explain the prints he had given to Armitage before. He also had ideas for safety within older structures and concepts based on Rey’s spare key. This meeting took him well after four before Ben finally said, “we’ll have to pick this up tomorrow,” and ended the call. 

That man has kept him from enough. He’d missed years of his life in LA thinking he needed to be there—he was the only one keeping them afloat, and Snoke knew how to play the sympathy card. He knew how to throw Ben’s life in his face to make him feel like he’d been cheating the company out of time... but not today. As long as Rey was in his life, Ben told himself he wouldn’t let their time be damaged. Snoke redials Ben’s cubicle. The rings lay heavily in the air, employees would choke as if layers of smog were filling the floor with each ring sounding longer than the last. But Ben... he just walked away.

——-

Rey caught up with Rose during her class, mindlessly drawing out another schematic for things she needed in her life, like a retractable shield for her bike’s back wheel. Rose said she’d be in town this week and next before having to go back out for a couple months. 

[-ROSE-] a lot of it is done, they just like to have us on for the 3D rendering. It’s a lot of back and forth with the art director and lighting crew. I can’t believe I am actually saying that!!

Rey made sure to congratulate her and reassured her she was more than capable. Her professor in the schematics class was quite flighty and would be in and out of class looking usually for the next student to speak with. When he’d speak though, he sounded as if he was on speed. A hundred questions and then, and then... his stutter. Rey could accept it but not by much. He’d go by Professor DJ, and though he was brilliant, Rey was not looking to get into it today. Class gets out at 3:30 and she still has six more books to read for Phasma’s class, figuring she would read them in the theatre. She seemed to give out signals though when she was just trying to pass through. 

“You know, Ms. K-Ken-Keno-buh-bi,” his stutters would worsen when he was irritated, “This i-i-is a gr-gr-graduate level class. And you s-s-seem to be doing the b-b-bare m-mi-minimum.”

Rey looks up from her drafting table, her brow furrowing, shoving the pencil behind her ear. This professor had no idea what her level was in terms of skill but she was producing work for each class. Things she felt she needed, now this sketch had to do with a retractable shield that would exceed past the lowest bumper she’d researched just before. “I’m sorry, say that again, Professor DJ? I do more work than my classmates. Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”

Professor DJ eyes her, he’s only pressing because Phasma sent out a massive email to the graduate professors to make sure Ms. Kenobi was living up to her standards, and that she needed to be pushed. Otherwise he had no valid point to be him her face. Rey had good attendance, minus her accident, her work was clean and original... so what was there to push? Professor DJ would be the one to let it slip eventually that they were instructed to handle a higher workload for her. 

“That’s discrimination, and poor ethics,” she sighed, “Professor, are you suggesting that I have a conference with all of my professors both now and in the future because I triggered one’s pride issues? Because Professor Phasma doesn’t like being challenged?” Rey waves him over to her next piece of tech, explaining both it’s significance and the stitches on her face. “I’ve seen your Harley Professor, don’t tell me you think sport bikes shouldn’t have protection too?”

“That’s-s-s n-n-not wh-what I meant.” He tries to recollect himself, the muscles in his neck jerking and his eyes blinking rapidly. 

“What do you mean then? What do you need to see?”

He knows she hasn’t shown the schematics for the project in Phasma’s, but it’s not for that class and the thoroughness was for a different reason all together. He won’t see it like that, so when he asks for it, she declines. “It’s in my partner’s car,” which wasn’t a lie. “At this rate Phasma is just trying to make my life a living hell, so why don’t we do it like this: Chancellor Windu already has to be there for my midterm make up when I’m cleared for my concussion. Why don’t you show up too? And give me one hundred more projects to do once you see my blueprints for those too?”

Her Professor weighs this thought for some time before accepting. Once he has she wastes no time calling her engineering teacher and asking him the same, ball-parking sometime next week being the event date at the theatre. 

[-REY-] ...this school has it out for me. More on this at dinner. 

[-ROSE-] (Poop emoji)  
[-ROSE-] What’s for dinner? 

[-REY-] Honey butter chicken, mashed potatoes and salad. Dinner’ll be closer to six tonight I think. 

[-ROSE-] Sounds good. Need anything? 

[-REY-] After today? A drink sounds amazing.

Rey explains the malarkey that has become her semester. Of corse it has. She was sure “Murphy’s Law” would undoubtedly turn into “Kenobi’s Law” years ago, but it never happened. Cleaning her space, rolling her designs and setting them in her canister, she offers a back handed wave to Professor DJ for giving her a heads up. 

—-

[-REY-] I’m on my way. Two blocks out.

[-BEN-] see you soon. 

Ben now seething at the email received after leaving the office was Snoke firing him for walking out. The man was crazy. He could notice a change in anyone and would control them through it. Ben knew this first hand and was not going to be treated like a child with the blossoming of his new relationship with Rey. Snoke has no justification to fire him, aside from “just cause” which he believed was against the law.

His walk back to the parking garage furthered his scowl. Patrons around him would avoid him as if his anger was breaking the ground around him, looking to swallow them whole. He was so far into his anger letting it build towers of thorns around his heart, that he was unaware that Rey had met up with him, begging to know what happened. 

Echos would form around her voice as if she’d just been a dream leaving him too. “Ben!” She can’t think of anything else to do so she slaps him. His behavior had her worried and he wasn’t responding to her at all.

Snapping him out of it, to receive two big brown sad puppy eyes, “What was that for?”

“You weren’t... I’ve been here trying to get your attention for twenty minutes. You were scaring me —what happened?”

“So you slapped me?”

“Out of it. And I have a fresh one should you feel you need to do it again.” She giggles at his expression. “Please tell me what happened?” She pleads pulling him around her as if he needed to be guided into a hug. As if he didn’t know how or why he needed one. The simplicity of her touch seems to melt the pain from his body, giving way to an ability to speak up. 

His news is surprising, but Rey would assure him he was fine. “It’s against the law to fire someone based on just cause these days. Fifty years ago, it was easier, but with all of these rights activists, they made losing a job so much harder.” She eases him, “what else is bothering you?”

Honestly, he’s worried about what unemployment would mean to Rey. Being with someone who couldn’t provide, part of this out of instinct, the other because of the status of their new relationship that’s plaguing his brain. “I’m not really sure how to start—“

“Just tell me Ben,” she says as his car makes it from the lot down to him. 

“It’s nothing,” he tries again, “let’s just, let’s go home.”

“I’m going to take the bus then if you don’t want to tell me. I thought we were more than this.” She drops her head, turning her heal. It’ll be a long walk, and she best hurry or the latest she’ll be home is eight. Swallowing hard, she goes to take her first step away from him when he admits out of fear of losing her, “i didn’t want to tell you ok? I’m a man. I’m 33 for Gods sake! I should have it together and not have problems like this.” 

“You are human, Ben.” She turns again to see a broken man. “You can’t expect to have a the answers at any stage of your life.”

Ben nods leading her into the car.

[-GROUP MESSAGE: POE & FINN-] Leaving city now. Dinner when we get home. Bring drinks if your out -bs day. 

Rey briefly changes the subject, “Jess and Rose will be over. I want you to meet them. They’re important to me. Like you.” She tries reassuring Ben back from the mental devastation he’s impeding on himself. Rey pulls at his hand leaning her head into his bicep, trying to help calm him. They ride in silence until she finally says, “I don’t know what type of life you left back in LA or how those people treated you, but I’m not after some guy with some fancy job. A plus. Sure. But you were just a nice man helping on oddly dressed woman when we met...if this job was this important to you, I’m sure we can fight for it. But it sounds to me like you’re being released back into the wild, maybe for the better.”

——-

Rey makes mention she needs to stop at the store for a few things before getting in, so they do. On their way out Ben reaches for the bags she was holding when he asks as it’s in a couple weeks, “what do you do for Thanksgiving?” 

“It’s usually just the three of us. We’ve tried to invite Poe’s parents but they haven’t come. So it’s just dinner with turkey. Maybe this year we’ll have more.” She says as she hooks her arm through his. “We have the space if you’d like to ask your parents.”

Ben rounds the trunk putting the food in the back, when he hears her say it’s the neighborly thing to do. “Hang on. How did I go from being your boyfriend this morning to now just your neighbor?”

“The moment you started with the secrets...” she teases.

“Secrets?” 

“No secrets and you can regain your status as my boyfriend,” she looks up at him after hearing a disgruntled laugh, “I’m not kidding Ben, I didn’t like that. You weren’t reachable. And you were right in front of me.”

Up until this point he didn’t realize how he would shut down. He knew about the rage, he knew about the release, but the stewing within his failure, that was new. His thoughts were numbing time and space. What he thought was normal, registered awareness, wasn’t, but there she was expecting a change from him. Ben can feel himself nod, hoping that it’s enough of a movement to be a nod.

Rey presses a kiss into him, “Let me be here for you. Like you want to be for me.”

—-

Rose and Jess see themselves in, “Finn’s about twenty minutes out. He said he had to wait until his doctor finished his paperwork.” 

“Thanks Rose. Text him that we’re a little late on dinner so not to rush.” Rey replies finishing up dinner preparation. 

Jess nudges Rose to look up before letting herself into Poe’s room.

Finally looking up from the counter, “no shit? Is that 527?!”

Rey chirps a squeal, not ready for the excitement while retrieving items for their salad. 

“Ben,” he offers his hand to shake it.

“My boyfriend,” Rey speaks up over her shoulder. 

“Shut. Up. How’d you guys meet? Was it the food? Tell me it was the ribs!” Rose pleads.

“Ask me again at dinner. The guys should know too.” 

“Know what?” Asks Poe before seeing Ben, “oh its you...”

“Yesterday happened. It’s over now. You’re going to get—“ Rey’s interrupted.

“—get passed it. Yeah. Rey. Look. Last time you went silent you were unconscious.” He folds his arms so she doesn’t notice his swollen hand, “I didn’t know. It’s not my place to but can you just tell us you’re ok?” At Rey’s nod Poe sighs a thank you before asking Ben if he wanted anything to drink. 

Poe and Rey had conversed earlier about his tantrum and the trinket. He fessed up about damaging the apartment and then cleaning it, with the request that she didn’t ask what happened to his hand. Especially not for in front of Jessika. 

“We usually eat at the bar here but if you want we can head by the coffee table.” 

“Nah, just pull up the computer chairs and we’ll eat here.” Poe replies. 

Finn shows up still in his scrubs, “after that rotation I swear no amount of games is going to make this day better.” 

Rose hugs him while he explains that the rounds were ok until one of the kids he was assigned to went into surgery and has been in for eight hours already. Finn, already an emotionally charged person went into a field that would prove to eat him alive if he couldn’t control his love for all. “I just can’t imagine being a parent going through any of that.”

“Then don’t.” Poe says flatly. 

“It’s not that easy. It’s like me telling you to stop loving your mom.” Finn protects his feelings. “Those people aren’t just numbers circling through the system. They’re kids that I get to see every day, spend hours with calming them before their procedures..” Finn continues to feel down about the one in particular.

“Ok, stop.” Rose tries to calm him. “Why don’t you change? Food’s almost ready.”

During dinner, everyone eases in thanking Rey for cooking, and Jess for drinks. Jess makes sure Rey knows her dress and project is all laid out on her bed before the real conversation starts.

“I can’t believe Phasma screwed up your entire semester,” taking a helping of the honey butter chicken. 

“Hopefully its just the semester and not the rest of my time there.” Rey picks a biscuit to butter. 

“She’s got some serious pride issues if she’s going to do that. DJ has a reputation of being easy going even in grad classes.”

“He was pressured. It was an email and she’s the dean. Windu didn’t get it apparently.” Rey bubbly attitude more subdued now. She feels Ben’s leg press into hers under the table, “Phasma is pushing other Professors to give me more work since I’ve pushed back on her authority.”

“Can they do that?” Ben asks.

“Technically not.”

“Then why—“

“It won’t matter. I’m making a statement inviting them all to the midterm make up. It might raise my bar but I’m not backing down from Phasma.” 

“You may want to do it sooner than later though. My segment is going to be shown for January, but the internet is full of five second famers.”

Rey explains the requirements given to her by Chancellor Windu, before she can schedule anything, “Jess basically runs the theater so we’re good on times there. It’ll be fine— I’ll just handle it. In the mean time I’ll have time for finesse my skills.”

“Ready when you are babe,” Jess winks.

Ben’s eyes widen at the thought. Now he has ‘free time’ he doesn’t want to disclose.

“Don’t get any ideas Ben,” nodding at his look, “If you’re fixing to show up, you’re part of class. There’s no bullshit use of my time.”

Rose has been dying to know, “Ok. I’ve waited long enough. I need to know...Rey? How’d you meet Ben?” Poe rolls his eyes now knowing she’d been feeding their neighbor. It couldn’t have been much more to it. 

Rey explains the day they met, the girls leaning in for every detail until she adds the last bit, “and that’s when I realized he was Kylo_Ren,” grinning widely up at him. 

Finn choked on his mashed potatoes even though they were finely mashed. Rey usually uses a hand mixer to get the chunks out, so there was literally nothing to choke on, except for a glob of it going down his windpipe. 

Poe just looks at Rey with a side turned face as if this shouldn’t surprise him. “What. The. Fuck?”

Jess, who doesn’t get it, “wait... He’s the guy on the computer?”

Rose is dying. She clearly won out of the deal, an awesome job, hot male nurse boyfriend, global recognition, and Rey got a date. ‘Everything’s coming up Rose’ she said to her self enjoying watching the guys loose their minds.

Finn seriously can’t deal, “What is your deal, man?”

Ben, who cannot believe she let the cat out of the bag, sits forward in his chair mouthing ‘really?’ to her, not interested in delving into why he methodically tormented them. 

Rey leans into him, “No secrets, babe,” drawing her fingers through his hair, behind his collar, and down his spine, “no secrets...” this seemed to buzz over his skin like a surge of goosebumps, as if she was trying to communicate something more, past the thought of the honesty with her friends. As if she wanted this as a tit-for-tat, gaining her a realized glaze. 

“Hmm..” he offers as a low grumble, pressing his leg once again to hers, promising a game she may not want to play.

Finn and Poe continue on complaining about this, trying to rationalize what they just heard. “You’re dating the same guy you agreed to piss off?” Finn finally asks. “Do you understand how messed up that is?”

“Oh stop. I only agreed to it to stop your bellyaching.” Rey spouts, “I may actually get sleep now.”

“You agreed to this for sleep?” Poe can’t believe that’s the reason.

“Do you have any idea how loud you are? I should not have to wear headphones to hope to sleep in the apartment we share.”

“Oh my God,” Jessika snorts, “I’d kick you guys out if it was me. I need my sleep.”

“Think of it this way, we have a full group for ‘Pug-G’, or whatever else,” her hand still hovering around his lower back, her thumb dipping in between his shirt and slacks, hanging off the face of his belt. Ben’s mind drifts at the feeling, remotely being pulled back at her withdrawal. 

“You mean you’ll still play?” Finn asks incredulously.

Rey agrees to it, “after today, I’m pretty sure I could ruin anybody,” she laughs, “so don’t get in my way..” 

Finn calls Rey’s team but she’d rather get the girls playing too so she adds a stipulation as she’s the queen of them, confidently, “girls vs boys.” Jess and Rose both put up their hands trying to wave her off but it’s too late. “Star Wars Battlefront. What do we want when we win?” 

“Guys go dancing with us—“ Jess squeaks. Poe’s almost sure Rey is going to throw it to avoid that.

Rey breathes in with her nose accepting this saying, “you’ll have to teach me how to dance with a guy then,” knowing fully well the guy’s have no chance. 

“You’ve been laid haven’t you? Not much difference to a non-showy couple.” Jess snorts.

Ben chokes on his spit gathering her from her chair into him, “confident are we?”

“You’ve only won when I’ve let you...” She teases. 

Finn stares at the ceiling. “Laundry for a week—a month for this conversation.”

“Deal.” Rey scoffs. “You best be figuring out what night works for you.”

In all of the games they played Rose and Jess would find themselves getting stuck in walls or starring at the ceiling or floor, spinning. The guys could only handle those easy kills. Rey would defend or block them from across the room preparing dessert, offering it to the girls like it was nothing. There were enough screens the boys each had a PS4 on their desks to play that silly Monster Hunter game comfortably. Their LANs has them ready for anything. Ben played next to Rey on their second couch while Rose and Jess shared the one in front of the tv squealing and moving the controllers with their bodies to will their characters to other places. 

Jessika screeches when she gets killed for the millionth time, looking back at Poe who’s laughing at her. “Don’t make fun of me!”

“Oh please, I looked like you at my first Zumba class.” 

“Good Lord I know! You could not figure out how to stop either.” She snorts as Rey picks off Finn, then Ben, giving her time to apply the toppings to her sundae. Rey pops off Poe when she drops the controller in frustration that Ben had slurped up her whipped cream. 

“NO! That’s mine!” Grabbing him by the nape of his neck, trying to take it back. Her strength only gives way to her body’s movement up to him. His rigidness giving him the upper hand. Ben wraps his forearms behind her, reconnecting with his controller, on his way to her last location, when she plants her lips to his, spreading them to sweep her tongue through to regather her treat. 

Of course Rose and Jessika cat call her, aiding to her frustration, Ben pulls her down astride his lap getting closer to evening the score, when Rose runs over her controller. 

“Don’t want to play fair, hm?” Kneeling all that much closer to him, she begins pressing buttons, swatting them away as she lowers over top of him, “let go Ben,” she grinds over him.

“Hngh,” he sighs trying to contain himself. “Don’t..”

“Let go Ben...” rolling her hips over him. 

“I need you...”

“Later. I’m going to win this.” She rolls over him again gaining a hiss. “Let go Ben,” she purrs. He’s sure he’s whites out, the stars he sees are fractions of a beautiful reality Rey’s been producing for them. Rolling herself over him once more he finally releases. 

His eyes are blown begging to bring her home for the night, not phased by the other people in the room. 

“We win. Pick a night.” Jessika feels like she won by screaming at the tv, knowing full well Rey carried them.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew wraps up their night of gaming.
> 
> Ben learns not all things work on all women and has to be understanding. 
> 
> Rey has trouble at school.
> 
> And Jess is paying for a graduate program that doesn’t exist anymore.

Bets continue well into the night, as does switching teams, none of which Rey nor Ben get to play as teammates as it just didn’t seem fair. Through the rounds the group shares shouts, barking laughter, shallow arguments, more challenging bets, but more often than not a good time. Ben was sure that friends was something he was missing too.

Rey play’s upside down hanging off the couch, with her body bowing off the back losing a bet, speaking to Jess about Friday’s plan. “Do you think I can start setting lights in the ceiling for Kanan’s part?” 

“You really think Phasma’s going to let us all work together for the final?”

“We’re going to own this,” trying to tuck her shirt back into her jammies, “she won’t know we all worked together. It’s going to be a seamless smack in the face,” she says knocking off Ben, from the Super Smash Brothers’ tilting map. Rose sucks up Rey with Kirby shooting her off the screen too, Finn howls at the screen, “Rose wins!!” 

Rey has two more upside down games before she can come up for air, “YAY!!” She calls outward, dropping the controller, “nooo” she whines, opening and closing her hands like a child. Ben can’t look at her without wanting to hoist her over his shoulder offering a goodnight from their host. “I can’t do this my face is going to explode,” pulling up with a grunt and heave upward using her core to pull her back up. 

“Is there anything else we need to do for the final?”

“I have to finish my holo stars and the main to project your performance but I need Saw to help me with the plasma projection... fibers aren’t going to do it. It looks almost like it’ll be done with four projection points. They just have to be made and programmed without catching fire.”

“Simple, right?” 

“Pfft,” Rey rolls her eyes. “The applications used in movies, aren’t real life. It’ll be a miracle if I can get it done. Otherwise I need to come up with a discrete control panel like a controller to help guide people through their projects.”

“Three weeks and gallery pieces to show for December.”

“We’ll be ok. Phasma has no idea who she’s messing with. Right now though, I’m going to bed,” she says fishing for keys in Ben’s pocket. 

Ben drops his controller, out of his mind with excitement that she wants to go back with him, is popping up, practically jumping over the back of the couch for her. “Goodnight!” He hoists her over his shoulder, hearing her whine about her clothes being in her apartment and needing her keys. “Spare’s in the door handle.” He reminds her. 

He can’t honestly remember his day. Or how they made it to his room. The last few hours washed over him removing the years of stress making him feel so much younger. “Do you have to go in tomorrow?” Ben can’t help but ask her, almost begging her to stay in with him, pealing her pajamas from her. He’s gentle in his embrace careful again not to put her through any accidental torture. 

“There’s too much work,” she tries to explain with little evidence that she’d rather be there instead of comfortably beneath him. She feels him bow back from her pulling at each of his buttons before stripping it from his own shoulders. “Why don’t you come with me?” she pulls at his belt deftly opening and slinking it off of him. Rey’s eyes flick up to meet his and the gaze he’s bestowing over her is pouring with untamed need. 

Ben heard the question but skips it like songs on his iPod. “Do you know how hard it was to control myself, in your apartment, with your roommates around?” he expels with his exhale. He tries to command her never to wear those tiny pieces of scrap she called pajamas, but she flat out said ‘no’. More smalltalk buzzes as they release themselves to each other sinking comfortably down, atop his sheets, unmade from the night before. Neither seem to care. 

Rey does her best to ease more into the claiming kisses she remembers, before answering his question with one of her own, “How do you think I felt at lunch when you told me ‘only a couple more hours?’” Rey settles her legs in a comfortable opening, offering his passage to her core. 

He hums remembering this, with a nip. “ so you’re ok with a now unemployed man—“

“So long as it’s you and not some random stranger, yes” gaining an overwhelming warmth from his stare. Rey pulls at his final button that holds his trousers up before letting it pool around his knees. It’s late and all she’s wanted her man buried deep within her. She let’s out a soft, begging whine, trying to pull him down into her when he plainly said, “it won’t be that easy. Not tonight.” Tonight he felt some retaliation was in order, “call it a game...”

Rey ties to play with his hair, when he pulls just out of reach. 

‘How dangerous a game could this be?’ “Not when you give me what I desperately wanted,” he cups the underside of her breast tenderly, broadly licking over her areola before blowing cool air over top of her nipple, making her bow her back off the bed. Her body now fully awake for him, quivering in want. “Titling me as your boyfriend,” his words forming in his hot breath over her pebbling breast before lapping over her again, with a harder suck making the torture her short nails into into his curling biceps fill him with desire. He smirks at her pressure, and the way she mewls through the use of his name. “But then you take it away like it’s nothing, calling me your neighbor,” providing her breast with more torment at the same pressure, letting up here and there at her whinnies.

“You! Oooh!” She grunts, “you were scaring me—“ She flushes when a pocket of her arousal is expelled from his constant working, sure she was going to have a release when he slowed over the right, nipping his way across her chest to the left.

“No,” repeating his work methodically to the left, noticing more of a response to this one. Rey begs for him pulling her thighs over his hips, trying with all of the strength she possesses to get him to take her when he leans back, being pleased by her whine. “See, that’s how I felt,” He suckles hard little bruised down into her flesh, licking softly around her navel.

“What else?” He hears her whimper when he pulls from her, “oh, that’s right, you slapped me,” his voice fondly upset.

Rey’s recounting what happened too, “you needed it,” supplying a coo feeling his finger pad draw up her center, delicately rubbing soft circles over her drenched clit. Each pass pouring more slick between her folds begging him to touch her. 

“Hmm, it looks more like you need ‘it’...” he teases stroking her softly palming her clit as his teasing overwhelms him too. He slips so easily into her inhaling his satisfaction. “Tell me babe, how bad do you need my cock?” Thrusting a third finger deep within her accepting her want, stroking her endlessly with need, letting her body tighten before removing himself, “and then you were going to walk away from me.” Stopping her orgasm all together. 

No coo or whine, instead a grunt this time getting a two foot kick into the chest, to get him off of her. “Cut it out! I know what I did.” Part of him knew she was strong, but not strong enough to fight him off. “What was that?” she waves at this weird shit, “do you like that? What about it is fun to you?” She huffs at him. “In all my days of senseless masturbation, I never once said to myself, you know what would be fun? No release. Yes! Let me get all worked up for nothing...said no woman anywhere!” 

Ben’s eyes are severely set into a panic, tries to speak but gets nothing when she continues, “or do you want me to pull you out right before your come? Hold you down so you can’t get off. How about that?” 

Ben, who had no experience with a woman like Rey did not expect to get that response at all. He just figured all woman liked or would come around to his game. 

“I’m -Rey... ok” he apologizes. Gulping now in a nervousness he hasn’t possessed since he was younger. Trying to resettle in a loving observation, he asks if he’s still allowed by her. On her approval he tries again as he started with her had the night before. Guiding her to her stomach instead, promising not to work her up for nothing. The sheets beneath them curled in up in bunched waves has an odd comfort while he smooths his hand down her spine keeping her laying flat, her legs together, he huffs with need pushing deliciously down within her. “Is this ok?”

‘This is different’ she thinks, welcoming every noticeable ridge of his swollen length. “Yes,” she breathes wanting to lean back, accepting him yet again with an appreciative moan. Ben is tentatively stroking her out until she can’t breathe without begging him to fuck her harder. “Please” she whines, through bands of bliss. Never did she think it could be like this, where her partner could appreciate her for her and listen on a whim. He’d shown it before, how careful he was. How he deserved to be that title and any other he wanted. She thought of how misrepresented the ‘neighbors’ line was... how sensitive he actually was made their time together that much more intense. Their relationship was like setting of fireworks, whether they were or weren’t smothering each other in their bed, she found it held the same pleasure. As they shared their release she can’t help but sing a coo, she promises herself to him, always, before shutting down into a deep sleep. 

Ben’s eyes light up trying to hold out through his tiredness, through his stress, to decipher what she meant by her muffled appreciation, hoping she’d admit it again, before he too, passed out.

——

Ben wakes with a start snuggling into Rey’s chest, her fingers lightly working their way through his hair, the other hand, high over his shoulders hugging him down to her. His startle barely shook Rey who was in and out of sleep with him. Today’s light barely poured in, the clouds were dark and overcast wind swept swirls over the sky. Just the look of it gave her a shiver. Ben takes one look and nuzzles back in, his hair flopping over each breast while his stubble bites ever so slightly into the valley between. “Don’t go,” he wants to be hidden like this forever. 

“Can’t. I’m getting screwed at school,” drawing her short fingernails over his back. “Come on. We’ll take the bus ok?”

This bugs him that he can’t get her to stay. “You want me to go?”

“Yes?” 

“Why?”

“Networking. You’ll be surprised who’s watching.”

He grumbles a bit before they get ready. 

[-GROUP MESSAGE SAW, KANAN, JESSIKA and 6 OTHERS IN THE ART DEPARTMENT-] I’ll be in around 9:30. Tell me what you need. We’re finalizing today. Need to run individually. 

[-SABINE-] in studio till 2. Drop by after. 

[-SAW-] we need to finalize the first projector, repeat 3 times. 

[-KANAN-] stars. Jess has projection in theater. Be by after 10.

[-EZRA-] Cables are up, resin inlaid catwalks need to be wired before you use them. I have wood if you want to use that temporarily, two inch thick.

The chat blows up with inappropriate remarks. Rey hushes them. 

[-REY-] anyone hear from Paige, Tristan, Bazine, or Sindi? 

[-SAW-] Tristan and Bazine are working on the projection. Paige is handling her costumes, and Sindi, I do not know.

[-SINDI-] working on music with my group. Jess has them as backup performers in case we need them.

[-REY-] is everyone else accounted for? Individually? 

The group responds with a yes over all.

[-REY-] I’ll be in the theater this morning, except for 11-1pm, class. Be by Saw around 2 after. 

Ben sits tentatively by her side, while she leans into him explaining everyone’s expertise. “Jess is taking on quite a bit. It’ll be fun to show you what we’ve been up to.” Ben offers a small smile, uncomfortable that all of these people-guys- have his girlfriend’s number. It takes so much of his self control to be supportive and not possessive. ‘Networking,’ she called it. 

The bus ride happens to be an easier ride than he figured it would be. Less stress. The walk, he remembers, was the reason he drove in. This overcast day, had people walking in a more brisk pace, pushing them through the streets like the blowing fall leaves. Every so often they would stop at an intersection, giving Rey the time to look up at him, excitedly for this day. And him to her realizing she’s still, spunky as ever with her stitches in.

Finally making it to the building she asks if he wants breakfast before starting. Ben shrugs it off, giving way to Rey’s nod. “I have to get my tools before we start,” tugging on his hand, third floor, then main level.

“Ms. Kenobi,” Rey hears as she passes. 

“Here we fucking go.” She whispers surprising Ben who was unaware of her use of anger. Rey, gathers her calm before turning with a smile, “Professor Phasma?” She manages without spitting poison, he’s sure it took all of her not to.

“You’re here early.”

“I have other classes. And a ton of reading I’m nearly done with..”

“Thanks to your mouth.”

Rey purses her lips try not to be baited by this woman. Rey leans in her head in a tilt and back out as if to shake the thought. “Is that all?” 

“No.” She purrs. “I expect you have started your final project? You may not work with Jessika for this.”

“The syllabus said that. I can read.” She pulls her list. “six books left.”

Phasma actually has the wherewithal to look impressed, and before she can speak, “I know about the email.” Rey says freezing her in place, her face blanching, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Windu, but I will get an A for all of this bullshit you’re putting me through.” Rey’s forgotten Ben had been with her, startling a chirp at the grasp of his hand. “Are we done here? I have work to do.”

At Phasma’s silence, they leave to retrieve Rey’s tools. 

“Phasma?”

“Yeah the one Jessika and I were talking about over dinner.” Rey pushes into the lab grabbing a black and box and red tool box, both equally heavy, Rey thankful she’s got an extra set of hands, she asks Ben to grab two pairs of goggles, and her controller, “please be gentle with that.”

Ben makes a face. Rey nods him over pressing her backside out of the double doors toward the elevator, directing him around. “Why don’t you let me hold one of those?” Rey looks at him by way to double check he really wants the weight. “I can lift you, I’m sure I can lift that.”

“Ok” she nods handing the red one over, giggling at the sound he makes. There’s no way it’s more than her, but it’s a solid drag downward from the light pieces he was carrying. “Holding the other one will even you out” she offers taking the important controller and eye protection. Again the same grunt, eliciting a slight chuckle from her. 

“Amused?” 

“Very.” She shoulders into him, “come on then.” Music pumps through the theater as Jessika is half way through her routine for the final. Rey waves a hand to her friend signaling she’s starting on the sides. 

“Ezra left you the temporary boards and clamps, by that row.” She points, “tell him to put them up for you.” She continues her moves, lying provocatively on the floor waiting for her partner to fly over her. Jessika had reached out to touch fingers with her partner floating over her in a flip of sorts, before making her look like she’d floated back up unrealistically over him. 

Rey smiles until she hears Kanan rush in basically begging for her. Kanan was roughly Poe’s size, a full half foot shorter than Ben, had long brown hair that he tied and allowed down his back. He was partially blind only able to see certain lights. “Rey?” He hollered. Being dark in the theater, Kanan had trouble navigating so Rey puts down her tools, takes off her glasses and picks up her phone for the flashlight feature. Ben watches on like she’s possessed, aggravated by the sight of her worried for another man. It’s quite possibly Jessika’s pounding music begging at his attention too. The words, the bass, watching his girlfriend surge past him in earnest. Rey rushes to Kanan knowing he can’t see her even though she’s tried to let him know she was coming. She lights her face, calling his name. Ben’s face contorts at the way that she says it as if she forgot all about him. It’s a toxic mess of emotions he tries to clear, raking his hands through his hair, only hearing part of the conversation.

“We can’t present here. You haven’t started pushing stars in have you?” He literally had spent so much time trying to recreate them after her accident.. on his own..surely not blaming her. “Christ,” he hovers his hand around her aura. The light from the phone pulls over each lip of the stitches. His eyes stutter across, further than they would for Ben. He notices he’s off, and isn’t sure about his feelings. 

“I’m fine,” she makes sure he knows. 

“Did you find him? Your confidence sounds steady again.”

Rey giggles, “yes. He’s here today.” She promises introducing them but he needs to explain his news. 

“They’re taking the theater down by the end of the week for more classrooms.” 

The sound of a fall and Jessika’s lovely voice tempered with a million awful curses pads up to Kanan telling him to repeat himself. She hollers upward to get the lights and turn off the music, the sweat from her routine finally showing the work she was actually emitting from it was obvious now. Once the lights were on, she pulled Rey to the side getting closer to Kanan as if he was the reason it was happening. 

He can’t see her as well, so he coughs in her face, telling her they got rid of the preforming arts. “There’s no use for this space or your interests.” 

“That was the wrong thing to say!” 

“Stop Jess!”

There was a wrath in her too that she was trying to subdue, though you’d never know as she went along swearing any everything she saw.

“Where are we supposed to go as a back up?” 

“Nothing is posted.”

Rey nods, introducing Ben to Kanan as she goes to call Rose. She’s on the phone for hours missing her engineering class, getting bounced around from number to number when she finally gets Luke through Rose. 

“So, I hear you need a favor?”

Rey nods even though he can’t see her, “yes.” 

She explains their situation and that they would need a space for an installation for their finals too. “Forty three in the class. Individual and then full feature. So possibly pushing four hours.”

He asks her a few questions, “night preferably. There are a lot of glowing elements.” Another handful of questions asking about the set up, “I’m doing something far beyond my range. I can explain in better detail if you want me to set a meeting.” 

They set a date over the weekend, but promises a place with ample vertical space for over three hundred, “Thank you Luke. I’ll see you then.” Rey laughs, “I’ll bring her too. She’s home anyways. I’m sure she’ll like to catch up. Ok. Bye.”

Being in school seems like it had been such a long time ago. Watching their tempers flare with new news, Ben doesn’t miss this. He watches Rey move, cleaning up her projects, pulling a wrench from her tool chest, stalking the lines Ezra put up when he reaches her, unaware that he’s moved. She feels his touch slightly settled around her waist. Dropping her head to his, “Everything is fine, just have to reorganize. Get a wrench, babe.” 

“Hey, wait...what?” Ezra complains. “What—“

Rey rolls her eyes, pulling her phone, typing out:

[-GROUP MESSAGE ALL OF MCCL-]  
Theater is being destroyed for more classrooms. Don’t worry. I have a venue through a friend. Work as usual, unless you’re into installations. I need all plans for individual plans to get space for installations prior to finals. 

She presses send, sure enough startling a response from everyone including Ezra who is standing before her. “I need these down. Save the materials. I need to eat, and find Saw.”

Her phone explodes with questions on how she keeps this afloat, and she replies all with: 

[-REY-] Networking connections.

Which has her talking to Ezra about his father’s company. They get into it while Ben just listens waiting for his entry. By two he already has a phone number, contact and the possibility of working closer to home. 

[-SAW-] are you coming up child?

[-REY-] cleaning up. Be up soon. 

Rey’s body is dragging. “I’m not sure how I’m standing Ben.” She leans her face into his chest in the crowded elevator. The ping sounds with a shuffle of feet around them. She’s sure she’s set down her tools wrapping her arms around his waist. 

“Are your days always this unproductive?”

She feels drool hang from the corners of her lips before nipping him. “Hey!” He swats at her. 

“I don’t always nip at my partner, but when I do, I make sure he squeals like me.” She repeats a popular beer commercial, blinking rapidly to try to maintain her consciousness. He’s sure they’ve been in the elevator to see the same people pass though floors for other classes. 

“Come on,” He nudges her forward. Reluctantly she goes. 

Saw has had enough of her site as she comes in, “CHILD!” He’s so much older than them working on a plasma endured holo projector which to Ben, seems dangerous. His lovely dark skin rolled in obvious weathered skin, his eyes look tortured as if he’d seen too many accidents in the lab...though he’s older and obviously heavier he still has an angular face. His thick beard helps. The remaining hair atop his head is everywhere as if he’d recently been electrocuted. He looks over Rey and then is taken back by the size of Ben, whose got her tools and is following her around. “Where,” he pauses a lot, “have you been?” 

“A lot has happened Saw. Did you check your phone?”

“Do I?” He breathes a wheeze, “Look like I have time for that?”

He’s right, plasma is dangerous, and they’re trying to bend it. Rey explains and his face contorts like he’s smelled something fowl. “It’s being taken care of.”

“Rey. Try, my child,” he points to the break room, “take a nap or food, you look like you’re going to drop.”

“I’m—“

“You’re not fine. Go.” He shoos her. 

She nods taking Ben with her. The break room is tiny and gross. A vending machine, a few broken chairs, an older, ripped couch, and small folding table make up this closet of a room. Ben, who is just fine standing, takes in Rey’s appearance before sitting in one of the broken plush chairs, remembering his request to let him take care of her. Holding out his hand he offers her his lap as her place to be. Rey’s eyes are heavy and closing fast, finding herself loving the feel of this. Tucking her nose down, she nuzzles into his chest, straddling him sweetly with her arms hooked upward, holding onto his back as if she’d fall from him if she let go. “Ben?” She squeaks through a yawn. To his ‘Hmm?’ She whispers, “I love you,” before passing out. Her brain, should it have been functioning, could have protested that it was too soon for the admission but she was almost positive she had already told him. 

Ben inhales sharply, hoping he’d hear it again, not expecting it so soon either, possessively encircles his arms around her. Stroking her back softly, helping lull her to sleep- actually glad to be spending this unproductive day with her, in one of the most disgusting rooms he’d ever seen.

Thirty minutes later, Rey has drooled into his collar, telling him all sorts of things she’s unaware of. The weight of his arms over her helped her into a deeper sleep, like her weighted blanket. On waking, she notices he’s drifted off too, giving her room to lean kisses into his neck until he’d woken up.

Saw pushes through the door to see her working on him, scaring her enough to nip into the little bruise she created, waking him up with his own strange little sound, “nggh!” 

“This!” He pauses, “is not what I meant when I said, take a rest.”

Rey blushes. “I’m much better now” leaning back to get up. “Let’s take a look at where we are—with the plasma” she corrects.

It takes some time but she figures out that the point of projection has to be cone shaped to accept the prism outside of it’s recognition of three dimensional space. The three that mimic the original have components that press out the plasma at a bend to create the three sections of the programmed image they’re trying to produce. The only thing uploaded is the schematics to her project. “What if we use this to show the plans to everything we’ve made as a show piece. Using the same concept, I’ll bend laser light for the pieces underfoot on Ezra’s bridges.”

Saw shakes his head, “it won’t,” he says, “do that,” he pauses again, “the laser won’t bend.” He waves her over, “you can change the direction... but it will be— jagged. Not smooth.”

“It’s what well have to do then. The resin is set, and I don’t have anymore kinetic fiber to control.” 

“Rey. You know it’s just a class, right?” 

“It was just a class before Phasma started making it impossible.” She explains, “now—now it’s about student’s rights.”

——-

Later that night Jessika is back with the group at Rey’s. They’ve started Jessika on the path of gaming to ease her frustrations. Every other word was a curse. Poe thought his family was colorful, but she had him beat. She could swear circles around his father and have him shaking like a child after a nightmare that’s how angry she was. “They got rid of it as soon as I started! How? How can you accept payments for classes that don’t EXIST?!” The Wii controller goes flying into the wall a foot from Poe’s tv. Unscathed by embarrassment she picks up another one trying to throw a frisbee before Poe takes it from her, asking her to try focusing on a shooting game.

“This might make you feel better.” He tries to promise. 

She gives him a weird look, turning her head back to Rey, “AND NOW I either have to switch majors and stay OR I fucking get to start over from NOTHING WITHOUT THE MONEY I SPENT ON THOSE SEMESTERS!” Her character dies, “Fuck you!” She yells at the computer. This only creates another can of worms. Jess’s hand-eye coordination is crap but she can sure as well talk smack through the microphone while Poe picks them off. His Twitch feed starts to amplify as new interest comes about with his stream. 

Ben, now with another way to get back into messing with her roommates as it’s been hard to single out new players to dominate for fun, nudges at Rey to go back with him to his place, still hearing Jess scream shit through the door. He guides her into the second bedroom, she hasn’t seen before. His computer room is impressive, bare in terms of decoration, but his desk spans the width of the room and monitors are mounted on the wall. While Rey admires his handiwork, he opens a closet that holds his costume, pulling the whole thing out. 

Her voice cracks wondering if she admitted to loving that thing in her sleep. ‘Why can’t I control that?’ She complains inwardly. Before she knows it he’s shrugged on most it, losing her self in this space, “I don’t — I don’t think you need” She waves over him, “all of that,” trying to clear her throat from the cracks while he stalks in towards her. She can feel the weight of his want surge through her - a force she’s trying to accept all of. “Ben” she pleads melting at his embrace, “I-“

“I know.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets her stitches out. 
> 
> Ben gets an new job.
> 
> Rey’s semester work goes into overdrive having Ben feeling left out.
> 
> Ben helps do a real Thanksgiving for Rey.

Dr. Akbar has removed half of Rey’s stitches, pulling lightly at the medical thread, undoing it as carefully as possible. “The slice had been sealed as of last week I’m sure,” he points his gloved fingers at the space unfurled giving way to the sight of the scar itself. It’s thin. Very thin. “A little pink yet, but it will taper off as it gets further along.” He removes more of the stitches across the remainder of the scar, “you were very lucky,” he manages to say seeing his fair share of tragedies. 

He takes time to check her range of motion, “you may want to slowly work your way back into usual activities. Some patients have said chewing gum helps. Better choose soft types to start.”

Rey applies the thought elsewhere, ‘if gum is ok...’

Dr. Akbar turns to his counter to retrieve some tools asking her about school, what she does, if she’s been noticing any trouble with her eyesight or cognitive abilities. “Concussions are serious, Rey, I need you to really think about what your range of abilities were and what they are now. Have you noticed any mood changes of any sort of anxiousness or irritability?”

She thinks about this... putting up the fight she did with Ben. Lifting a finger, a little bit I thought it was normal with the circumstances.”

Lifting his brow, “what circumstances?”

‘Oh no... I don’t want to talk to you about my intimacy.’ “Um..” it hangs thickly in the air.

“Rey,” he warns, “I’m a doctor. You are not the first and wont be the last. If you tell me, I can help you better decipher what you’re handling.”

Rey takes a deep breath expelling her worry as fast as she can. Watching her feet as he processes the code. “That’s personal preference, but could be aided by stress. You need to manage that better. Can’t go around hitting people, you know.” He says with a small smile, “children do that...”

Scoffing, “I’m in the hardest graduate level class of my life and the professor is out to get me.” 

He smirks, “stress.” Asking now, questions about her physical state if she remembers anything else that may have changed, even slightly, or fatigue when she could really hammer out work all day.

“I was particularly ruined yesterday,” she explains again.

Taking these and the other notes down he confirms, You should be ok in terms of the concussion, just know your limits.”

“I need a note for that. Can you actually fax it to these numbers?”

“I’ll have the nurse do that. Anything else?”

Rey shakes her head and he explains cosmetic care for her scar before she leaves the office meeting up with Ben in the waiting room. She wastes no time, having waited long enough for a devouring kiss. Planting a love that couldn’t be expressed in any other form, she takes him by complete surprise, simmering his protesting questions. Parents and a crotchety older couple can’t help but grunt and voice their complaints as the couple retreats back through the office door. Heated and wanting Rey let’s out a wail, while chills run through her spouting that she’d been missing this. 

Ben’s vision is darkening sure he won’t survive making it home with her as her tongue sweeps over his in desperation. Breaths are short but necessary, tiny pauses between gulps of each others’ pooled saliva. He tries to calm her. “We still have to get home...” he can barely form a sentence, starting to find her fervor humbling. Amused that she had this pent up energy from what the last few days? Since they met that night? It seems to seep in...the right to devour him was stripped from her that night and Rey doesn’t take kindly to not being able to get what she wants. Having to suppress her want crazed her further. His mind works through these concepts making his movements jerky and she notices. 

“Home,” he begs, following her parted lips for a few more cycles of this. 

——

From: Gwen Phasma PhD  
To: Rey Kenobi  
Cc: Chancellor Windu  
Subject: Midterm Makeup - Declined

“Ms. Kenobi, 

I decline your ability to makeup your midterm seeing as you used this class to provide to a project used outside of class.

[link]  
[link]

Your marking will remain. 

I expected more from you. 

Gwen Phasma PhD

 

“...God Damnit!” Rey tosses her phone over her shoulder. Had Poe not tried to catch it, it would have shattered on their floor. Rey stalked off, “order something, I’m not cooking- not after that.”

—- 

“I don’t know how you’re going to do that.” Luke says with finality. “You may want to think of another user of the space.”

“Meaning, we have to start over.”

“Don’t scrap it. Just rework what you have. You have a lot of digital work saving the project- work with that.”

Rey sends out a group message on the critiques Luke sent, making sure he wasn’t referenced during the conversation. Last thing she needed was a snitch telling Phasma. 

Rose’s mouth pops open with an excitement that is both thrilling and scary, “OH!! I’ve got it!! Why don’t you turn it into an interactive game world? You have the characters, skins, reproduction, all of that’s on your side. You just have to build the set and tell the story.”

“Interactive? How?” 

“Build a set of remotes that triggers the demise of said character—“

“Just like the MMOs” Rey whispers. “We have to change them though. Special codes for series of character abilities.”

Luke watches on as Rey starts figuring out the plan.

“It could work. Build an actual ‘level’ program them for real world assessments. The plasma projector could be the host of the project explaining the completion of it and rules or rounds.” She starts to cackle. “Phasma could be the boss! Oh my God! That’s the plan!”

——

Their project takes Rey well into November to complete, handling long days and some nightly labs to complete, which has Ben at a loss. He’s taken the time to call Ephriam, Ezra’s father about an interview. Over a couple days time Ben had been given the opportunity to work with him and other contractors for modeled homes, in Ridgewood. Apart from being in Bergen county, it was certainly the best change in terms of travel. Ezra was the near spitting image of Ephriam minus his facial hair and height. He had high expectations and had they of been met they weren’t overlooked. Very different from Snoke. 

His lunch breaks were similar to the ones he used to take, but here, there were younger guys that had worked along side him enjoying getting into having lunch and playing games with him. This was a new concept, it didn’t get him any less riled up. The guys seemed to get a kick out of it, hollering and getting riled up. Ben was fun to watch both on and off the screen. Animated was certainly the word for Ben. So long as he didn’t go over the hour lunch, or play while customers were in the office, this behavior was fine as the others participated too. 

He hasn’t seen or heard from Rey which gets under his skin but knows she’s working hard and he has even used her spare key to go in at night, gathering her from wherever she’d fallen asleep, back up to his apartment. Rey had gone back to writing him notes and leaving food if she cooked or picked something up. After coming across this morning’s on the wall next to the door, he remembers the first one she left him explaining she was in Grad school. This one admitted to walking into the wall before leaving. Some notes would tell him she was going down to the music hall they would be preforming at. Rey would leave a heart or smiley face if she remembered. It had been two weeks of her solidly working on the project, and he had enough. 

His twitch feed was active tormenting Flyboy especially while Jess was there yelling at him that she knew where he lived which was amusing. FNBOT hadn’t been on at all either which wasn’t strange now knowing he was in residency. ER Nurses had the worst schedules. With all of it, he couldn’t help but miss Rey so he tries texting her again today.

[-BEN-] hi. 

He’d wait a second and try more messages one after another hoping something would get her attention. He’d begin to think the worst of this, “but she said she loves me,” He sulked. “How doesn’t she have any time for me?” And that’s when she adds him to the group message so he can see the mess she’s dealing with. 

[-REY-] please take pictures of where you are and send them through this chat. 

Sabine sends everything they have at the installation site. Rafters have been set to secure hanging catwalks and the atmosphere above it. The ground looks like they created a rocky terrain complete with bases all over the floor at The Bowery Ballroom. 

This ballroom was two stories with a large vertical space off of the stage, two balconies, on on either side, giving more of a structure to plan around with. A lovely half circle window accents the front of the building where Rey plans on holding refreshment and on either side, tables showing the work they had managed to do for this as a gallery. Paige was the one to come up with this, showing her outfits on the manakins for the heroes and villains. Her designs were flawless and even more amusing, she had many of the students sit to make their costumes. Kanan’s stars are set on a dome, that she has Ezra secure for her.

Rey temporarily has them using the balconies on either side as additional zones, but still is unsure of where she’s going with this. “Spawn’s should be underneath.”

[-REY-] we still need the foliage that will stretch upward concealing the scaffolding created and in here by the weekend. Once that’s done all I have to do is get a test going. I need people to do a challenge game tomorrow.

[-SINDI-] tomorrow is Thanksgiving. 

[-REY-] shit. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. 

Almost everyone including Ben send the poop emoji.

[-REY-] (turkey + poop emoji)

Even though there’s a bunch of her peers there with her they and the rest of the students all throw silly faces at it like children. Once that was out of the way, she forwards the conversation again asking anyone that’s there to try out the controllers. Rey explains she has a total of ten for five versus five, or ten taking on the forty three different versions of characters they were able to recreate with Sabine’s understanding of Maya and green screen manipulation. Programming and laying the artwork was done on behalf of her team who were thankfully artists. It literally looked like they made virtual reality gaming a real thing. 

[-REY-] take a video of this and send it to me. Do not post this until after the final. 

She already got burned by the leaker who shared her hot little number online killing her chances to even show it. 

Several do a walk through. Ben cannot believe what he’s seeing. It surpasses everything he’s ever imagined in terms of technical ability. These were students, with a smaller team and lesser resources pulling off this standard of a project. If they had more than two weeks time on this, it could have mimicked anything any other gaming company could have produced. Dizzy at the thought she’s pushed through her task even through her odds. It’s clear she can do anything. Inwardly he hopes she knows this, trying to think of how he can give back to her. Ben finds himself drawing up a studio for Rey within his apartment for now. ‘It can be right next to mine’ he thinks designing a strong computer and three dimensional printer, promising that when they’re ready to start their own place, she’ll have everything she needs. 

Privately in their conversation he sees she’s left him a heart and a sleep emoji, hoping he understands she didn’t forget about him. 

[-BEN-] Ben sends a heart and then the turkey plus the poop.

[-REY-] you love turkey shit? 

If this was anyone else he’d be mad. But because it’s Rey he can’t help but smile. 

[-REY-] did you ask your parents if they wanted to come for Thanksgiving? 

Honestly he forgot all about it despite all of the advertisements for Black Friday being two days away. After his decline she said it was ok, Rose had some friends coming so they’ll have people around, play some games, maybe actually watch some football, giggling at the last one.

[-REY-] I have to get a turkey. 

[-BEN-] I’ll get it for you. What else do you need?

Rey’s heart wanted to explode. Not even Finn or Poe would offer that type of help. She offers a list and to get the receipt so that she could pay him back. Ben rolls his eyes pressing but not meaning the ok that he sent. 

Leaving work that night he picked up candles, a plaid table cloth which was what was left, a wreath that said ‘thankful’ on it, and all of that stuff he’d make comments on when his mother had made important every year. He made sure to pick up breakfast foods and his dad’s favorite cinnamon rolls and bacon. He knew going to the store was not his deal, but he’d gladly spend hours there to make sure he got what Rey needed. Thanksgiving to Ben wasn’t just a turkey dinner, and he wanted to share that with his girlfriend, even if Poe gave him strange looks about his orientation the whole time. 

Rey looked happy but physically destroyed when she came in, “what’s that amazing smell?” The apartment had only known air fresheners and dirty men smells, unless she was cooking, to have an actual smell was something like out of a dream. Searching around for Ben, she finds the smell in question. Prancing over to it, smelling it like a flower, her face beams, “pumpkin spice-like those muffins I love!”

“Why do girls like candles?” Poe shakes his head not really caring for the answer. 

“I like fire and fire places and warmth...”

“You sound like a pyro,” pulling his shirt collar over his head, hiding his ears, and speaking like the characters from ‘Bevis and Butthead.’

Ben looks like he makes a mental note as pushes through the door with the rest of the bags from his car.

“I couldn’t tell you about other women though.” Rey does the best she can to help with everything. 

He assures her he has it and to go check the bathroom, “I figured you’d be tired so I drew you a bath.” 

She can’t help but want to cry leaning a kiss into him before going towards the bathroom. 

“Alright. What’d you do?” Asks Poe, waving all this over.

Ben shows him what she’s been doing. “Just seems right to look after her in a way she hasn’t experienced.” It zings Poe but he leaves it.

——

Thanksgiving Day has them all hanging out together at Rey’s since that’s where all the food is. Ben was able to get a twenty-one pound turkey, which the Internet said about five hours to cook so that had to be cleaned and prepared after breakfast. Ben, knowing Rey had no experience with cooking breakfast, cooked for everyone, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast if they wanted it and cinnamon rolls. It was easy enough. 

Eggs were basically his go to food in college. Bacon? He had less skill with, knowing full well a grease fire nearly engulfed his frat house. Not a memory he wanted to dwell on. The rolls were easy enough and honestly, who doesn’t know how to make toast?

His mom usually had a platter of fruit but he didn’t buy it or try to make one. ‘Orange juice is enough fruit’ he thought. Rey, who’s never hand anyone cook for her, where she wasn’t buying a service is entranced by this man. This morning, because of his act of kindness, she’s almost sure she can’t remember her name or how to speak without a stutter. 

After breakfast, Rey came around the counter to help clean up and defrost the bird, when he assures he has it, offering her a place on the couch. This has Rey both flattered and scared. Her place was taking care of others, she thought, not doing it made her anxious. But- she tried for Ben figuring this was just something he needed to do. “I’ll be right there, ok?” Ben was there in a matter of minutes, feeling so smart for using paper plates this morning. What wasn’t paper went directly in the dish washer and her turned that on. His mom would always wash the sink before floating the bird, so that’s what he did, even though it wasn’t frozen. After he washed up, gathered Rey in his arms and let her snuggle into him, “Happy Thanksgiving Morning, sweetheart.” Her coo is the most content he’s been in the last two weeks, settling him past his bubbling fear. He had to keep telling himself Rey wasn’t like everyone else. Rey is special.

A short nap within each other’s arms puts dinner back about an hour. Finn confirms Rose is on her way with guests, and Poe is just about to go pick up Jess when Rey purposely asks him to help with then gizzards. Poe blanches and runs for the door. 

“No Rey! No!” Electing the best laugh she’s emitted all day. 

Poe pushes through the door saying, “Ask Rose!” 

Conversation comes pouring through the door in voices he knows. Ben’s brow furrows and turns slowly to see Luke, and his mother and father enter the threshold. Rose puts her bag down on the counter nearest the door like she always does, “Hey guys, were a little early, hope you don’t mind.” She goes through her phone responding to someone, before realizing the silence. 

Ben feels Rey’s hand pull down his back towards his hip asking him for help setting the bird in the oven after making a dirty joke about it being thoroughly rubbed. At the sound of Luke’s usual throat clearing, Rey looks up to see people staring at her apartment, “Rose?”

Luke speaks up but Ben says it for him, “Rey,” exhaling slowly, “Meet my parents.”

Rey feels all the air leave her lungs after flirting with Ben the way she did just before, with a squeak, “good to meet you.”

Leia’s big brown owl eyes from the initial shock of what was said to her son, slowly crinkled into a smile. Rey took in her features that matched Ben’s enjoying figuring out a past she hadn’t the excitement to understand in her own life. He’s got his mother’s nose, her lips are tighter, a womanly plushness- not like Ben’s. She hopes her face isn’t contorting while she assessed them visually. Her hair is done up as if she had been to the parlor this morning. Rey was amused by this but didn’t think her home required such poise.  
Leia carries herself steady and tall, though she is of an average height like Rey. She’s neatly dressed in a green cashmere sweater, and a thick woven charcoal skirt, accented her sweater with small silver beads adorning the hem, sweeping upward with the slit of her skirt. Low black heels and an assortment of natural pearls complement her look.

She introduces herself and then her husband Han. Ben seems to have his wild hair, correcting her thoughts immediately on his nose ‘must be a combined effort,’ his eyes were far narrower, same with his lips..’where on Earth did he get those...’ she wonders. Hand height makes more sense that Ben is so tall but he’s still in he’s shorter than his son. Hand is dressed more casually, ‘thank goodness’ she thinks. Just a neutral beige shirt and jeans. Shoes of course but who doesn’t wear shoes this time of year? 

Leia explains she works with Luke as his partner. “Luke tells me you’re ahead of your time.” Rey’s not sure what to say responding with a ‘thank you. Ma’am’.

Ben, who can now move, shakes hands with his father happy to see him. “Sorry I, Rey asked me to ask, but I forgot-time just...”

“It’s fine, Ben.” Han explains “besides, Rose has been forthcoming about your girlfriend.” He pats him on on the back twice and the third a little harder. 

A steady conversation comes through now, buzzing about how big the project has truly become. “Rose tells me you had trouble with this professor.”

“That’s not even the half of it.”

Poe comes back with Jess and she squeals, “REY LOOK AT YOUR PHONE!!”

“Excuse me.” She says to Luke, “It’s in my room, just tell me what happened.”

Sabine got Phasma to agree to be used as a model. She’s. A. Character.” 

“She’s the boss. Our characters, the ones still alive have to defeat her to win the match. I’m going to make her play. Defend herself as we’ve had to.”

The apartment erupts in laughter. “Unreal” Leia remarks to Luke. She’s the light and sound specialist in the company. Special effects is her thing, and yet, she’s never seen such an application asking Rey how she figured it out. 

“Well it wasn’t me. Our class is bright. Saw and his science majors really got it together in terms of projection. Instead of just the large four for the stage map and presenter, there are smaller ones that will be working on a net under the canopy when it’s created that will map the floor and the character direction will move freely throughout the map, just as it’s been coded too. The characters for show are 1:1 scale but will be a quarter of the size since there were so many generated for the game itself. The point was to represent everyone, so they had themselves as their project—that’s the point of school, is it not?”

Amused, Leia asks what Rey plans on doing for work. “Anything within the line of electrical engineering.” Which no doubt opens a lot of avenues for her. 

“How would you feel about working for us?” Luke asks.

Rey who is thankful she’s sitting, could honestly faint. When she’s sure she hasn’t, accepts making it known she only has one more semester, and that school is important to her. “I know, dear. I wouldn’t have asked if you weren’t so passionate about this.” 

“Well, thank you,” Rey’s giddiness is brimming now, right into tears. This semester kicked the crap out of her, and now she has a foot in the door.

Ben, who is trying to come up with their own plans, factors this in to them, along with a fireplace, and things he actually needs, now trying to figure in a commuting time for her, pauses bringing her to his side. 

“Now, tell me... how did this happen?” Leia looks at Ben with mirth knowing he’s not one to go looking for a relationship.

——-

Rey has help setting the bar as a pick and go station when Ben and Poe come  
In with the desk he uses to play on as a table they can use. She’s sure she’s sobbing at the sight. In the presence of his parents, she knows she can’t just jump on him so she waits. Dinner is lovely, dessert is offered well into the night with coffee and tea. And as it’s time to start out for the night Rose remembers she drove. 

“The busses are done with their rounds to the city.” Says Rey. “I know it’s not much but you can stay here in my room. And Luke can be on the couch—“ by way of his look “it’s all I have.”

Ben could open his apartment to them but doesn’t want to. That’s where they ‘live’, their space and he’s not looking to share. Thanksgiving wasn’t over, yet.

Leia, who did live on her own before meeting Han, knows this isn’t really their place, thanks Rey but moves to find a hotel instead. “I’m old,” she says. “Old ladies need space...” Leia laughs heartily before thanking everyone. 

Ben offers them a ride but they opt for an Uber instead. “We’re fine, Ben. It was good to see you, son.” They both hug him when the message comes in that the driver is there. 

When he returns, he sighs at the sight of Rey is already sleeping. Looking around the apartment he realizes Poe and Finn have retreated in for the night with their partners, leaving him to scoop her up as he has, retreating back to their place, striding with a smirk imagining their future, bringing her to her forever home with him one day.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey’s super focused on school, and Ben starts taking it personally. 
> 
> Rey’s final.

From: Kenobi, Rey  
To: Professor Phasma  
Cc: Chancellor Windu, Professor DJ, Professor Rian, (43+ student emails for the remainder of their MCCL class)

Subject: Finals

As you know the theater has been stripped and no additional information given on where finals will be held. Upon networking with my peers, we came up with a venue that is accommodating: The Bowery Ballroom. We are waiting for the evening to present due to our presentations having much to do with light and manipulation. We request your attendance for 5:30pm with a start time of 6:00pm on December 6th. Please bring your IDs while this is a school function others will be present. Food and drink will be served after the initial show. The gallery will be upstairs so that you can look over everyone’s work individually. 

Professors and Chancellor Windu please confirm that you will be in attendance prior to the show.

Thank you,  
Rey Kenobi and the MCCL 8:30-11am class.

———

As the semester comes to a close, Rey’s mind is full trying to make every last bit of the MCCL project pristine. They have everything done and have been there nightly running through games. Luke must have paid an exuberant amount of money to close this for a month. The Bowery Ballroom always had someone piping through, if it was her paying for it she sure as hell would have just failed this class. 

Rey has had nightmare after nightmare waking to Ben trying to calm her. The stress is certainly getting to her outside of school. He does what he can to work her out of it, holding her close, cocooning her with his limbs. Sometimes it helps, but others he’s starting a shower, waking her completely lighting a couple candles in the kitchen, offering her anything he can before the stupor wears off. Her stress has her body bristling unless she’s working, even though she wants to stay close with Ben, she can’t. This has consumed her completely leaving Ben helpless again. 

In the time between Thanksgiving’s lightened mood and the sixth, Rey had completely shut him out again, mentally incapable of anything but her schoolwork, which has him completely flying off the deep end. Every night in full Kylo_Ren gear, starting fights with anyone and everyone. He’s done trying to remind himself that it’s going to be fine. He wakes up with her every night, several times, trying to fix her problems, and not feeling validated by it. The sting is real. It even has him taking a couple personal days from work to deal with this undeniable rage. He’s sworn at every character in every game, shouting taunts and going into a full raging lunatic stomp if something stupid happened to him killing him in the game...like it glitching and dropping him clear off the map. Or if he’d been switched to a different server with a bunch of bot farmers. Good God being killed by a bot was one of the worst things ever, followed closely by a newb. His helmet thankfully in place when he remembers Humor...Rey... if they never met would she still be playing? Would he still have all of her attention?

Looking behind him for a moment as if to see the last month and a half in retrospect. Would he give that all away just to have her attention now? Should he have wanted her attention then? Is it gone? Does he only have her shell? 

Noticing the time and that she should be back by now, he readies himself to scoop her up, his heavy feet thumping through his apartment don’t give way to much else than a sound. It’s become quite easy to get in and out of her apartment so wearing his gloves don’t harbor him for range of movement either. It’s honestly not until he enters and Poe jumps, even with Jessika atop his lap yelling at gamers, that he realizes he’s in costume. 

“Heyyyy buddy” Poe manages unable to contain his widening grin. “Where’s the show?”

Ben says nothing thanking God he had his helmet on covering the sure blush he had from embarrassment. Small beading sweat covered his skin before completely entering the threshold. 

Doing a scan with little movement he finds Rey on the couch they cuddled on all Thanksgiving day with a cheese stick half opened, fisted in her hand, not even a nibble taken from it, mumbling Gibberish. Numbers mainly. Calculations. ‘Ok’ he thought, bending on a knee before curling his arms around her and lifting for all the world to see. Kylo_Ren at FlyBoy’s ‘abducting a girl’ just like the movie. Both Poe’s and Ben’s feeds went crazy but Ben didnt bother look.

Poe and Jessika gape at each other and the reaction in their feed. People that subscribed to Kylo_Ren now also watched Poe, hoping to see other Kylo sightings. With the influx of viewers, Jessika starts reading off some of it, getting heated about the explicit comments. 

“Relax, they’re just doing it to get a rise out of you,” he says. 

“A rise!” A bunch of users start with the dick jokes and eggplant emojis.

“Unbelievable.” Poe finally says.

At their apartment, he enters and kicks the door closed louder than he expected, waking her with a start. ‘Damn it’ He thinks. ‘This is going to freak her out seeing me dressed up bringing her home.’

Rey’s brow furrows. “Kylo,” she blinks rapidly, looking to move her hands towards his arms, now feeling the cheese in her hand. She looks down from his mask, “why am I holding cheese?”

He cocks his head to the side, the synthesizer present. “You don’t remember getting cheese?” He pauses, “what do you remember?” 

“Waking up on the bus before my stop, and then missing it, begging for a ride back before the driver had to go back to the port authority, being woken again by the driver, sleeping in the elevator...”

Ben takes a steadying breath, “you don’t know where you are unless you’re at school?”

She looks at him like a lost puppy. 

Ben grumbles under his mask. Rey looks at him still hanging in his arms, pressed tightly to him, “Do you still think of me?”

Rey blinks, truly hurt by the question. The sadness from it pulling down at the corners of her mouth, “what?”

“Do you? I need to know what I am to you.” He tries protecting himself, releasing her from his hold.

“All the time, Ben. You’re everything.” Stunned he stays stationary while Rey reaches up carefully to remove his mask. His eyes rimmed red trying to hide from hers. “Why are you so upset with me?” Her voice is barely above a whisper. 

Ben shakes his head not wanting to admit his jealousy over her attention. How he’s wanted to tell her his true feelings, how their future has run constantly through his mind, how he wants so badly to start it with her now. How hard it’s been for him to stay patient, to realize their time hasn’t exceeded two months yet and he wants all of it, for her to join him forever. 

He feels the lightest breath over his lips on his downward turned face. Then the urgent pressing of her toes on his when he realizes she’s trying to kiss him. Finding her struggle somewhat amusing, he lunges down into hers remembering ‘this’. Hovering over her dinner, her begging eyes searching his, before delicately tasting each other at Ray’s Pizza. 

Rey breaths out pulling from his lips just as tentatively as they started, “please,” she begs him, “be my date tomorrow night.” A lump in her throat forms while tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Her body trembles regarding his masked pain, the rigidness apparent through his unmoving frame. “Ben,” his eyes flick back to meet hers from staring so longingly at where they had parted. “Please, you’re important to me.”

Ben watches immobilized as a tear rolls from her cheek. Chills warp his skin in waves making him shake. With every movement of that delicate orb of emotion he sees visions of their time together, while short, it’s clear, she’s only ever cried over keeping him. “I’ve missed you,” he releases hoarsely.

“I’m right here..”

“But you’ve been unreachable” he lowers his head as he admits this. Feeling the sting where she slapped him for the same behavior in October.

“Please, I’m sorry.” Starting to sob into his chest, “I never meant to hurt you...”

Ben shakes a shuddering breath from his heaving lungs at her admissions. He knows she wouldn’t be open with him had she not cared. It hits him again like a truck as she desperately paws at him, needing to feel like this was still real, before the guilt of reality swallowed her whole. “Ben, please...”

“I’ll be there.” He speaks lowly. “Always, everything... for you.”

Rey’s legs buckle as her eyes brim with new tears eager to cascade down her cheeks. Lifting her, Ben offers her a shower. “Please, just bed,” enveloping him in kisses mirroring her neediness, as if she wanted to prove herself to him, easing all of the pain she’s built upon him. 

———

It’s the day of the final and Phasma still hasn’t replied to her email making Rey so nervous she’s thrown up twice already. “The whole class won’t be graded if she doesn’t show up.” She puts two fingers to her shuddering lips that had to be painted and reapplied a second time already. 

“Rey stop,” Jess holds her hand. “Windu said he’d be there, he’ll make her do it even if she’s not there. Kanan said his criminal justice professor pulled something like this and they still got graded. It’s going to be fine.”

With that Rey nodded, pushing on another coat of lip gloss before upchucking the last bit of toast she managed this morning. Brushing her teeth she asks tentatively if Jessika had any gum, before meeting Ben and everyone downstairs in the parking lot.

Finn looks her over, “Are you ok, Peanut?”

“Nerves,” she replies shaking her head. Ben takes her hand, steadying her. “I just want this night over and everyone to get a grade.” 

Finn laughs slightly before they pile into two cars. Finn, Rose, Jess and Poe go in Poe’s car leaving Ben and Rey to themselves. At Rey’s request the dress code for this was semi-casual which had Ben in a collared black polo, khakis and black loafers, his ‘go to’ pair for anything but work now since his job doesn’t expect him in a suit on a daily basis. He’s sporting a short goatee, and has even pulled his hair from his eyes in a half ponytail, still hiding the tips of his ears in the rest. 

Rey’s in a flattering scoop neck shimmery red blouse that, Ben actually helped her pick out, a gold braided, medium hanging necklace, mimicking her shirt. She wears a flowing black knit skirt, nude thigh highs because Rey hates stockings, and her black flats she’s almost beat holes into. Jess tried, really tried to change her mind on them but Rey wouldn’t have it. “They’ll keep me grounded” Rey assured her friend. 

Ben keeps a hold on her in some way all the way to the ballroom. Whether he’s holding her hand, thigh, supporting her lean, he’s bracing her mental state in all the ways he can. Upon their arrival she’s feeling overwhelmed again. “Chancellor Windu showed up so that’s a good sign,” Rey said blowing out a heavy breath. Her phone constantly going off, students excitedly buzzing about Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa-Solo being present. Mr. Kan the creator of Twitch and a filming crew had showed up to broadcast it too. “That’s news,” she squeezed out. 

“You’re going to do fine,” Ben promises, pulling her hand to his for a kiss, his facial hair tugging a bit when his lips move. 

“Ok. Ok. Ok...” she breathes out shaking a little before stepping through the doors. Jess has music pouring through the speakers to lighten her and her concerned classmates. Phasma hasn’t shown and it’s 5:45pm. Her peers recognize her entry, and a roar of a cheer and applause bellow from all points of the ballroom, well over the music pulling Rey’s gaze from their combined work around to see everyone, before she begins to laugh, clapping for them too. 

Amused, Luke welcomes her in, making short work of introducing Mr. Kan to her, explaining that Twitch would be hosting this. 

“Hi, I’m Justin,” he explains the situation, “we’d like to stream this through your feed too, we’ll need you to log into it though to gain access to the live feed. If you could just, here.” Rey obliges, “a_dry_sense_of_humor has logged on.” Her own feed she’s neglected had thirty some odd thousand subscribers some how. “Well we need to talk about this for a contract with us, after your highlight, alright?”

Rey, only assuming what it means as a job, appreciating his offer says, “I have a job.”

“Oh no. Not a job, a sponsorship. You have enough users to be paid to stream.”

“But I haven’t done anything in months.”

Justin pulls up the last clip of Kylo_Ren taking her behind Poe’s computer, has Rey shocked. Shocked, knowing she hasn’t posted that, now wanting answers, Poe explains that was him. Justin continues, “you have enough to be paid and it’s policy to complete a contract for it.”

“Well thank you.” Is all Rey can manage. ‘What they hell is going on?’ She can’t help but bulge her eyes that she’ll be financially stable coming off of her student loans. 

Chancellor Windu shows up letting her know it’s just about 6:00pm and Phasma just made it. Rey’s face tingles. ‘Anyone else ready to faint?’ Rey’s handed a microphone, and ushered to the middle of her scenery. A table beside her with all of her remote controls. Rey breaths another steaming breath before jumping up and down. 

The sight reminds Ben of her when they met. It tugs a smile upon his lips. “It’s good to see you smile, Ben.” His mother scares him, at her chuckle. Offering a hello, they speak briefly before Rey begins, calling her Professor to the battle ground.

“If everyone, aside from the students in Professor Phasma’s MCCL class, could please find their ways to the balconies and second floor so we can get this started, that would be great.” Gesturing  
her hands outward from her sides. A great surge leaves the floor as if she was meant to command the space. “Lovely, thank you.” 

Ben and her roommates retreat with Luke and Leia, who catches Rey tucking a curl behind her ear watching on as Ben leaves the room. It resonates with her, the women sharing a moment as Rey’s eyes catch hers instead of her intended target. 

As everyone settles, Rey squares herself off before speaking. “First, thank you all for taking the time to come out to experience DeVry University’s Multidimensional Cross Core Learning Final.” A loud applause comes from the front of her especially, where the class is standing. She smiles, trying to applaud too.

Rey continues. “Networking is the theme of this class, pushing us to understand our field and how others effect them.” A general murmur buzzes around her. “Before we start, if you take a look around, you’ll see some familiar faces from within the pop culture field. First Luke Skywalker who helped solidify a space for this installation over the last month, which is no easy feat,” a strong applause at his name, “Leia Organa-Solo, master of light and sound” another strong applause with whistles, “and Mr. Kan, the creator of Twitch, who is broadcasting this event live,” the younger crowd, stunned before their response to him too. “Tonight we have a very unique setup. As you can see, you’re looking down at the scenery; our class as a whole have a created a top down hologram inspired game, that is open to anyone to play tonight.” Waving her hand over towards the table holding different colored controllers. 

“To explain the tech, Saw will walk us through how the game was made.” Rey calls him up applauding him and handing over the microphone. 

“Thank you, Rey” Saw bows to her. Also dressed cleanly in a sage green dress shirt, copper weaved bow tie, black slacks, socks and shoes to match, he waves his hand towards the stage presenting the plasma displays down to the science of the graph layout at projectors. He also scrolls through the characters in 1:1 size in the middle of the field showing the left balcony twenty one different samples simultaneously with the right who had twenty two. “If you play tonight, you’ll have the option to to play,” He pauses, “ with the different department heads, meaning who isn’t selected will show up in your game as the opponents.” Saw looks around again, taking a second for that to sink in. “Now, because this is being streamed,” he lets settle in the air as a question, battling the idea of an internet company would be filming them live, “we won’t be using last names. You know who you are, file in at your name.” Speaking to their classmates, “The department heads that you could play as are, Orange remote: Sabine in 3D manipulation, Green remote: Tristan in Programing, Silver: Ezra in Construction, Blue: Kanan in Music and Sound Effects, Red: Jessika in Dance- Choreography, Purple: Paige for Costume Design, Teal for myself Saw in Science, Yellow: Rey for Electrical Engineering. That’s eight,” he pauses “Copper: Sindi for Stage Design, Black: Ben...Rey? Child? Who’s Ben?”

Ben’s color drains when her roommates, Rose and his mother all turn to gape at him. “What?”

Rose started to push him towards the door to get down to the stage, the microphone blisters through the space stilling him and his thoughts, “my inspiration.” Even Rey’s breath over the microphone is heard. Silence comes over the crowd when he makes it through her peers, he opens his mouth and closes it, time and again, until she tells him, “press start.” His Kylo Ren character stands in the center of the playing field, actual size, his red cracking lightsaber on, standing menacingly beside him. “While this was created for this project, I have no physical rights to the characters or intellectual property except an approval to use by way of this project from an executive producer of the film should it be required. Ok, Saw, Sorry -continue.”

“And an eleventh one for Professor Phasma. We felt you needed a role in all of this,” he hands her the Chrome remote, “press start.”

Phasma presses start and to her surprise she’s dressed like a warrior from the 1600’s. “You’re the boss. Our objective is to take you down, hence your armor.” Says Saw. He explains there are only three commands, each doing something different to each character having something to do with their field. His information fades into the background as Ben still stares incredulously at Rey as if she just proposed to him. 

“How did you?”

“Long nights. You’re also not the only one who’s got a thing for Kylo Ren here,” she’s clearly talking about every guy here that wants to break shit in a mask just like Ben. 

Ben, who doesn’t take it like that, leans down planting a longing kiss into her, completely forgetting this is her final, and all of these people are around. Characters are making movement sounds, each showing their moves down the line when it’s Rey’s turn, Jess turns to her, howling over everyone, “YEAH REY!”

“Again?” Rey can hear Saw say, “child, stay in the moment—“

“I am...”

“Not what I meant... let’s get the first game underway.” Saw shuffles their characters on the screen by way of remote starting the match. “We start with, capture the flag.” At the start their characters shrink to the right sizes, running jumping and annihilating each other to gain access to the flags returning to their said bases. After the game is over they set to full player vs player, last man standing wins type of game. The remotes are circulated through their peers to play. When finally the last game, to try to take down Phasma. Jessika definitely wanted to play this round. Rey was distracted, passing off on the opportunity to hypothetically destroy Phasma.

Ben was the only person she could think about. Had Ben been constantly secured in their relationship before then, he would have undoubtedly purchased a ring and asked her to marry him on the spot. But since they’d only just begun, he was having a war within him trying to leave to go purchase one, just to ask her tonight. “You know,” he swallows, “I’ve been working on something for you too.” He swallows.

“Really? And what’s that, Ben?” Her hands creeping around his waist looking up at him in awe.

“I. I’ve been workin on plans for a house. A house for us.” He stiffens, as she inhales sharply. 

“A home?” Her voice higher than she’d like it to be.

Ben’s now afraid to answer, but does anyways, “yes.”

“A home for us?” She closes her eyes downing falling stars from her lashes. “For us?” She repeats

At his nod she lunges upward to his lips helping him feel appreciated, as she’s failed to do for him all semester. 

The crowd gets a turn to play rounds, mingling with others, appreciating the costumes made by each student in the gallery. Chancellor Windu finds Rey enjoying food now encircled with her friends. “Most impressive Rey, you should be proud.” He bows letting her know that it’s getting late and he’d be leaving soon. “You have a bright future ahead of you, Ms. Kenobi.” 

“Thank you sir.”

Complements soar. Mr. Kan has her sign a contract for subscribers and sponsors so she’s paid properly before seeing her off too. 

Rey offers a thank you to everyone involved telling them they’re the most talented people she’s ever had the joy of working with. A steady applause rips through the ballroom before her peers make their way home, as she did. “I’ll be back in the morning to break it down, all controllers marked for departments will go with their marked person. Parting gifts” she laughs before settling in Ben’s arms on the way out. 

—- 

A literal week later Rey gets her grades. “That wench...whatever I passed.”


End file.
